The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1853-05-17
rfor tbe 9armers.
From Me Soil of the South.
Rye Pastures.

-&SS Rye Pastures.
!; .Messrs. Eaitors-Tho fact is remarkable,
though nndeniabfy strue, that the Southern
States of this confederacy, comprise the only
country on the face of the earth, where grass is
not considered production Of prime impor
tanee. Now, would ask, is it quite certain
sethat We cotton planters have judged wisely in
setting at nought "a crop on which al! the world
besides. places the highest value? My own
apersuasions are clear, that in this matter we
have most egregiously erred.
& But i am not going to open a TRADE in favor
Of clover, timothy, lucerne or any other favor
itesgIasses. My purpose is to call attention
to theimportancesof rye, wheat or barley lots
: for the winter and spring Pasturage of miIch
cows, calves, Sheep, colts and pigs. Cotton
and corn will continue, especially the former,
TO engross mosteof our attention; but cott"nis
enotthe sumnaum bonum of southern planter.
{ He wants, above all things, healthy and hap
spy family-at least, it is of infinitely more con-
sequence than scores of cotton bags. But it
IS plainly impossible that he can have healthy
family or able bodied laborers without ade-
quate supplies OF nourisbing food. In most or
all other countries, this food is derived, direct.
ly or Indirectly, from meadows or other grass
lands Beet, pork, mutton, milk and butter,
for the full Development of the physical man,
as well as hay, that rough forage, without which
the best supply of grain would but lily sustain
our horses, mules and oxen, come to us chiefly
from grass or herbage, under one name or an.
other. The great value of this sort of crop,
though almost spnrn-d by cotton planters, may
be appreciated by the we'll known fact. that in
most ether countries, lands we'll adapted to the
production of grass, sell for much higher prices
than those ON which grains are grown. The
woods and old fields in this country afford tol.
erable grazing during the summer months
hut how do our cattle fare in the winter, espe.
.cially theyuung ones and their dauis? Ineed
not state what every; body knows. l need no.
denounce the absurdty OF expecting thrifty
calves, colts, lambs and pigs from dams which,
fornt least one.tbird Of the year, have scarcely
,feod: enough to keep their breathing apparatus
in notion.
Admit that our soil and climate are unpro
pitious to the blue grass and clover of Ken
lucky, ON which such herds of beeves, hogs
and mules are raised, we have a capital re-
source in rye, wheat and barley fields. In this
temperate region they can be made to supply far
more rich aud valuable winter grazing than
the best perennial grasses in the world, except
perhaps, the n,esquit grass Of the southern prai-
ries. 1 shall hardly be contradicted in the as
sertion, that but few cotton planters supply
their families during winter and spring with
rich milk and butter-their milk being mea.
gre, worthless fluid, and hutter when good for
,,tbs r;
to ensure an abundance Of these prime articles
of human diet, every man who owns a field, has
only in the month Of September TO put the re.
euired quantity of land in good tilth, say two
to ten acres according to family wants, scatter
broad cast, cotton seed at the rate of twelve or
fifteen bushels U the acre, and SOW the ground
in seeds Of rye, wheat or barley. Either OF
these grains will answer the required purpose;
but Us rye grows well on comparatively poor
lands, is plant sufficiently hardy to withstand
any winter weather, and when catsn of so as
to leave scarcely vestge Of vegetable life, as
late rs the middle or last of March, will then,
if cattle are turned of, mature good crop Of
grain, il would seem to be the preferable arti
cle
An opinion prevails that rye is very un-
CeftdiH crop, duu IOT luaL IeaSOH 1 presume So
few planters attempt to raise it. Its value is
incoptes:ibie for winter pasturage; for bread,
and especially for light breakfast cakes, it is
far preferable to the poor, innutri,ious Buck
wheat a9ur we import from New Jersey. The
aledged uncertainty Of the rye crop in this
country is attributable, | think, to two causes
First, the use of effected seed, to great ex-
tent, deteriorated by bad husbandry, aud the
continued attempts at reproduction, in the same
region of country for the last fifty or seventy
years Secondly, to an ignoranc. of the fact,
that light spring frost will destroy The bloom,
and of course prevent the formation Of seed or
grain. Good seed procured from Kentucky, or
some other State where rye crops are skllful-
ly and carefully cultivated for profit, sown in
this State as late As January, so as to throw
the formation Of the heads to period too late
to be damaged by frost, can scarcely fail OF
crop. But ea ly sown rye, September or d.
.J.c.. :. =. .'..r.2 - :..,se rray, = I'll i" ip'J
IL. q. ....a.. :;l;..'- 'rg. .'.s !. a...-.. .l
a., r.;a -: -;..'i.,> 5'.. = - ta1
Ges Ct Aaucook. Washirg,"r ard elsewhere in
nitlt, George. c.