Page 4A THETHE TOWNS TOWNS COUNTYCOUNTY HERALDHERALD AugustAugust 25,25, 20212021 Fall Gardening Letters to The Editor Do you usually have a fall garden? Judge Not Now is the time Watching Dear Fellow Humans, to start think- and Working I am a professional woman here in Towns ing about one. Jacob County. I have invested my savings and more There are some Williams into a hospitality business. I would like to bring benefits to hav- it to everyone’s attention that I try to be mannerly ing a fall garden that we’ll get in to. Let’s talk and welcoming to ALL. It is my hope that all my about what vegetable crops and cover crops patrons enjoy their time under my care. I want are an option for a fall garden and how to start the experience to be pleasant. your fall garden. When an elderly lady came into my es- Cover crops are planted in the fall and tablishment and asked everyone to pray for our grow throughout the winter into early spring. country to save it from Communism, I listened Cover crops are beneficial to soil health and politely. are often used in organic production. I like to The way I was taught in school and by think of the soil as a muscle in the body. If my parents was to respect my elders. If she had you work a muscle too hard or with only one said she was the Queen of England, I would have exercise then you may injure the muscle by said, “Yes ma’am, thank you for visiting.” A per- straining it or even tearing it. However, by di- son doesn’t contradict their elders. It is rude. versifying your exercises and making sure that Two customers jumped up from the table you’re eating properly for muscle growth you and said they didn’t wish to remain as they held can grow stronger. Soil also requires develop- different beliefs and they left. The older lady asked them to stay ment over time, and cover crops can help with that. Common as she didn’t mean to offend. They left anyway. That was their Sweet Sorghum crops are clovers and cereal crops like cereal rye, black oats, right and prerogative, as is her opinion as guaranteed to her by the Sweet sorghum is any of and wheat. Come springtime they can be tilled into the soil or First Amendment. the many varieties of the sor- RC&D laid down so that you can plant into them. Planting cover crops My question is why are grown people acting like the mean ghum grass whose stalks have a Frank can help to develop organic matter in the soil, reduce erosion, kid’s little cliché’ group in middle school? That level of maturity high sugar content. Sweet sor- suppress weeds, and conserve soil moisture. Around Labor was something that I thought we left behind as we entered high ghum thrives better under drier Riley Day is the ideal time to plant cover crops in our area. school and gained higher education. Who died and left YOU, (as and warmer conditions than Executive Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, kale, turnips, general term), in charge of the world? many other crops and is grown Director radishes, spinach, lettuce, beets, and onions are some good op- Jesus said, “Judge not.” He was a perfect person in human primarily for forage, silage, and tions for a fall garden. For fall gardens it is important to use form. Do YOU feel you are perfect and beyond reproach? syrup production. Sweet sorghum syrup is known as “sorghum mulch to protect the plants from the frost. You may need to get We, as a society, must remember our manners and the molasses” in some regions of the United States, though in most another soil test done on your garden to see if you need to add Golden Rule. That is the only way to have a peaceful world. That of the U.S. the term molasses refers to a sweet syrupy byproduct any fertilizer for the coming crop. Ideally, you want the plants is what makes a civilization. of sugarcane or sugar beet sugar extraction. to have 50 – 60 days to mature before the first frost. Our aver- Otherwise, it is survival of the fittest, the strongest and the Sweet sorghum has been widely cultivated in the U.S. age first frost date is mid-October. That makes mid-August a cruelest among us. We become tribal, ruled by warlords whose good time to plant. power is absolute. since the 1850s for use in sweeteners, primarily in the form of I am ashamed to see adults conduct themselves in such a sorghum syrup. In the early 1860s, the American Civil War not There are a couple of benefits to planting in the fall that manner. We used to agree to disagree, live and let live and go on only disrupted both interstate and maritime commerce but also you don’t see in the summer. One of these is there are fewer in- with our lives. diverted commodities from civilian to military purchases; these sect pests around. That means you won’t need to spray as many Do I need to bring my teacher from middle school in here? factors rendered some food and fiber supplies, including sugar insecticides. If you are trying to grow your garden organically She used to say, “Sweep around your own doorstep before you cane and the sugar and molasses made from it, unreliable and that is a very good thing! There will also be fewer diseases that look to your neighbor’s.” She wasn’t wrong. expensive. you have to contend with in the fall. Diseases like hot, humid Candace Littlejohn In particular, the South was under naval blockade by the conditions. As the temperature drops in the coming months Union navy, making importation of Caribbean cane sugar and diseases will become less and less of a problem. Winter weeds _______ • _______ molasses expensive and scarce via blockade running. Under can still be a problem but they are not as much of a pest as Nuts these conditions, some farms grew sweet sorghum for syrup to summertime weeds. Use mulch to suppress weeds. Dear Editor, substitute for cane sugar and molasses, which helped ensconce Pansies and violas are an option for flowering plants that Sir, upon reading your letter to the editor regarding our sweet sorghum in Southern food culture. By the early 1900s, the will last through the winter and keep their flowers. Plant pan- whole hearted approval/support for the NFL’s mindless promo- U.S. produced 20 million US gallons of sweet sorghum syrup sies mid-September once the temperatures have cooled down. tion of the anti-America black national anthem, the most ap- annually. Making syrup from sorghum (as from sugar cane) is Gardening in the spring means working through diseases propriate reply to you is to quote Brigadier General Anthony heavily labor-intensive. Following World War II, with the de- and insects. In the fall the biggest challenge will be from the McAuliffe: “NUTS!” clining availability of farm labor, sorghum syrup production fell temperature. As the temperature drops rapidly selecting variet- James Harber - An American drastically. Currently, less than 1 million US gallons are pro- ies of crops that can stand the cold will be important. It can be duced annually in the U.S. extremely rewarding to see green growing around your house _______ • _______ In Central India it was introduced in the early 1970s by after everything else has turned brown. Mad as a Settin’ Hen! Nimbkar Agricultural Research Institute for ethanol and syrup If you have any questions about growing your fall gar- Dear Editor, production. Sweet sorghum syrup has shown good antioxi- den contact your County Extension Office or email me at Ja- Fred Hamilton who founded Hamilton Gardens and gave dant properties and is found to be useful in food, beverage, and [email protected]. them to Towns County must be shedding tears of disappoint- pharmaceutical industries. Presently it is grown on large area _______ _______ ment or he may be mad as a settin’ hen! I cannot blame him. as a fodder crop. Most sorghum grown for syrup production is • Many citizens inside and outside of Towns County have grown in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Missis- Where Credit is Due donated money, helped raise money, and given sweat equity sippi, North Carolina, Missouri, and Tennessee. Allow me to wander off The helping to repair the neglected Gardens so they could once Sorghum syrup and hot biscuits are a traditional breakfast the beaten trail of honoring our again be an asset to Towns County. After all the effort put forth in the Southern United States. Sorghum syrup is also used on superb military Veterans for a Veterans’ by these good citizens will the Gardens fall into disarray once pancakes, cornmeal mush, grits and other hot cereals. It can be moment. Our Veterans have Corner again? During this time of extreme discord in our country, used as a cooking ingredient with a similar sweetening effect as proven themselves repeatedly Scott why cannot the leadership of Georgia Mountain Fair Authority molasses, though blackstrap molasses still has a higher nutri- that they serve our nation, our Drummond Board, the Georgia Mountain Fair Board, our elected official, tional value than sorghum syrup in most regards. In India sweet people in many and various and Hamilton Gardens Board rise to the occasion and come to USCG Veteran sorghum syrup is presently being promoted as a health food.