The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1856-11-05
Igruultur0I.
lfrom the S. c. Agriculturist.
SMALL GRAIN CROPS

~ Is now generally conceded thai the
production ot staple ket croDS. To the
exclusion OF small grain crops in the South
- very grIevi"ms taIIacy. The cyhaus-
ton OF !he arabic land, with all incident.
connected with the culture Of cotton as Il
has from The imperfect system of grain
culture, which have been persevcred Ia.
Cotton Of itself returns more f.rti,;zin.,
constituents to 'he s,il npou which il nm,
grown, than any other cultivated cror IL
The South for The stalk, pods and seed.
comprising all that is valuable as Erl,li.
zeIs, certainly exceed in value AN hum
dred fold, the lint which Is sold. These
portions OF the plant, with economical
methods, might all he returned to the soil
on some portion Of the plantation.
Corn Is at best hazardous and unccr-
tam crop IN the middle and most of the
upper districts Of South Carolina. The
contingencies of droughtand fresEe, have
inns year swept the country from one emf
OF the State 10 the other, and bui a few
favored locations have escapel tn. on.
ire crop ot corn produced in the State
VIII be harvested AT an expense Of not
less than one dollar per busheI, if we cs
innate the labor and capital bestowed on
The production Of the Whole crop. and we
are lrmIy OF Tie opinion, that to average
season OF ten Years this estimate of iIs
cost to the planter would not be too hioh
AS this fact Is one which slures us in the
face, would it not be vel for us to lool
TO the economical substitutes for this crop,
winch IN fact is the great exhauster of
our soil. All the valuable fertiIziap eIe-
menS OF the corn plant are taken from
she fields and seldom returned. The
present system Of tiIage, exposing the soil
TO The heats OF summer, and subiectinr II
to the wasiage Of washing rains, all tend
10 shake our confidence IN the uniyer, nj
value of this crop to the plap,er, Trs
proper cultivation, of which we shall treat
at another time, might decrease but woud
not wholly eradicate the casualties at,cp-
dant upon its production.
we think that The small grain crops.
wheat, oats, rye and barley have been too
much neglected., and tnat their increased
production in the planting States should
be fostered. The cot,oh planter obi.crs
10 large crops Of small grains, because
Tue harvesting interferes with the cu!liyn.
i'on OF his summer crops. With the old
SsySseIh or ar'esing this is great draw
back, but now, since reaping machines
have become practicable, and are beinV
introduced, this objection falls to the
gronndi for with little preparation =
iew hands can harvest immense ouan,i.
ties. So with improved machinery for
'hreshing and cleaning up small Grain
crops. Old fashioned lhreslers accom-.
p'lshlng the task of one hundred bushels
per day, can be supplanted by Others. do.
ing win the same motive power, and
bands enough TO manage the straw and
gram, five times as much. We look unon
the gathering and threshing of n large
wheat crop, when pdb by proper fixtures
as an easy task, not interfering with the
routine OF the cotton crop to an ininr,ou,
extent The same may be said OF oa,s
barley and rye. All these are valuable
and, besides, their remunerative character
come In as ameIioraling crops in proper
system Of rotation.
oar plan OF cultivating wheat, and
Other small grains, is simple, but effective
we plow the land deep and thoroughly.
narrow y smoothly, then apply whatever
'ertHIzerwe use, be it guano, cotton seed
or compost, cow the seed and cross. nlow
il with small short plows. Land sown
down in barley, shoald he made very rick
with compost manures. II this is done
from two TO three bushels per acrc is the
proper quantity Of seed 10 SOW. Mncb
100 IIttle wheat Is geueaIIy sown per acre.