The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1859-09-28
lgruultural.
From the Farmer and Planter.
We Plant too Much.


Mr.. EDITOR :-Jnasmuch as YOU have
solicited communications from your sub
scr'bers on the subjects of agriculture, DC.
propose to write a shor, article on the
subject of l'lanting too much though |
shall not promise you that it will he inter.
esting to yourself or to your numerous
readers; however, such as it is. il is free
ly at your service.
am Of the opinion, sir, that farmers.
generally, are in the habit OF planting too
much. | feel thoroughly satisfied, from
what little experience have had in farm.
ing, that |: we would plant less ground.
and cultivate 1t better, that we would re
aIlze a much greater yield or reward for
our laSors and, as matter Of coursa
when we labor we expect to be rewarded
for our labor In my humble opinion.
the better we perform our labor, the bet.
ter will we be rewarded for that lahor.-
No one will deny that a job of work well
cone Is worth more than one that is bad
Iy done therefore, if we expect to re,
ceive good wages for any piece OF work
let US perform that work well, and make
good Job of it. Ii is just as easy to do
thing right as to do it wrong, even if !,
should require little more time, and
| then the pay is so much better | do
/ not mean to argue though, in regard 10
farming, tha. 1t requires any more time
to cultivate a farm well, than it does to
cultivate 1t badly; but, on the contrary.
that it requires less. My idea, or doctrine.
is this that we should plant less and
cultivate better. Then, instead of hav
ing large aud very extensive area Of
SOIL to 90 over, every time that we work
our crops, we would have our farms con.
densed, and consequently less time would
he required TO work them and we would
also be enabled to Go our work be,tor
from The fact that we would no, he SO
tightly pushed, in order to get it done at
the proper time which is one VERY i'm
portant item in cuIlivating farm.
By planting no more land than we
could cultivate with ease and at the pro
per time, for the benefit Of the growing
crop, believe that our lands would last
longer, and that they could be kept mp IN
a higher state Of cultivation than they
are according to our presen, system Of
! farming.
Not a small number o: US arc in the
habit of planting just as much ground AS
we could possibly cultivate, provided We
were TO have no hindrance Of any kind
whatever. When We are planting our
crops We should take it n.o corsidrrt,
ton, that We wilt necessarily be compel
ed to lose great deal OF time out of our
! farms, perhaps, on account Of sickness.
and several days, or even weeks, perhaps,
may he lost on account Of wet weather.
We should remember too, that our plows
VIII have to lie stopped, in order to har.
vest and secure our crops of small gain.
There are several advantages TO be de
| rived from not planting too much-one
OF which Is, that the farmer has a great
deal more :ime at odd seasons through
the year, to devote tc the repairing Of his
fencing. to the repairing Of his buildings,
and to the improvement and beautifying
OF his place, generally. Another conSld
cradle advantage is, that he has more
time for making and hauling out mauures
over his farm, in order to keep up his
! lands; and, according to my notion of
things, there is no necessity for the farmer
TO let his lands wear ont at all, especially
II they lie so AS to prevent their washing
away; and even that may be prevented,
IN great measure, by having them prop.
ery ditched to carry off the water. Bv
planting no more than We can manage
easily, and by taking the necessary pains
IN manurng and resting our lands, |
think that we might improve them every
year or at any rate, we might keep them
up, so that their productive qualities
would not deteriorate. In my opinion,
every field on the farm ought to be cultir
waited just as well as we would wish to
cultivate small 10. or garden. believe
1t would pay. And then another thing
1t so much easier to work over q small
piece OF ground than large one. And
more than this-I believe that one acre
OF land cultivated IN this manner, would
yield us more produce than two acres
botched over, AS too many oil US do i'll
tilling our lands.
Many more things could be written on
this subject, which might not be entirely
uninteresting to many Of your readers
but for fear ] may annoy you, or weary
their patience, shall write no more al
present, but subscribe myself,
Respectfully, &c,
T. +. A.
Calhoun JuIv os,h 1eso