The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1860-08-17
coMMuHIoA1hp.
LETTER FROM HON. J. r. MARSHALL.


GEHrLrMEN: In response to your letter Of
the 4th inst. requesting mo to give YOU such
suggestions i'll reference 10 the scarcity of pro.
visions in our District, and what steps oush.
now to be taken Ivy the farmers to- provide
ag ninst the scarcity that may he expected for
the next twelve monsbs,,l beg leave to submit
the following.
II vii! he remembered, that we have had,
with the present year, three consecutive dry
years, each one proving more disastrous 10 the
agricultural interest than its preceding year.
and the effects Of our present drought threat
crs to make the prospect for provision crop
for next year, more gloomy than the rna:.-
There arc some localities in the District which
have been bi"st with II few more showers than
othe,s; but these are few compared with the
whole area Of the District. Theretcanno, un-
tler The most favorable view Of ocr condition.
he made more than half crop Of corn. and in
come sections moi more tlan third of crop
The wheat ard ont crops have been ucarlv
consumed in the support Of our farms for the
last three mcnths-nece-sity and hanger will |
fear, dive us into cornii"lr's before the corn
;s ripe and hence the scarcity that now rre
walls owe: the land, and will prove worse for
the next twelve months TO conc, unirs. Tie Ear
mcrs viii now, while j, il tne to prepare for
the future, make greater eH"rtiors than they
have been in the habits Of doing for the last
ten ycare.
The itr:acrs q! this District ard ! ,ary snv
OF the cEtire State, have been r"!yin,. 10"
much upon their corn AMI cotton crop to sip
Ply them with provisions: aad paying h"t H.
TIC attention to the fall and winter CROPS iha.
HAY be cultivated with great SUCCESS. Too
.it';" attention is pnil 10 tie sowing Of wheat,
oats. barley aud rye. These cost less labor
aud expense. than rny other crop planted in
,ls Southern sts'cs. mud will pay tl,orr for Tie
labor and cal.itm' cypcn'i. 81, in the srrnort &c
oi our farms :hnn any other crop.
CniottunatelN however, for the cotton
Aia,ss, ev&rysplAntsr has come 70 the ccac:u-
sion, not ;ipc'casir@ in wealth uuios>
i'c has aaarge'eeltoi, crcp for s"lc It. make,
no Inference %iti,h;n. how much corn. -four
or bacon he may have to buy for tn. mex:
y"ar; SO tina: he i.as large crop of Gotten per
Ea;.a 20 trng at the cad Of the ycar-
Hence to attain these large results in cotton
the richest la.d, the best manure. nod cosliest
fertilizers are ali made to contribute tn this
grand drS"lero'nn. If wheat oats OF barley
Sre thought OF, they are put i'll the rcorcs.
g%un! in n slovenly manner, arl. in nine
cnsas cut Of ten, without the least manure
and not in due season. Hence, The present
scarcity, and worse prospect for the ncxt
twelve months: unless the farmers change
their present ru.aa"s eys:c'u Of planting al
cotton and corr, aid paying little attention
to the smallgrain croTs
The first hing that claims our attention is
how are we 10 f:tt.n our hogs on so:nG,h in.
else than corn2 This :an H.. easily done on
tmrn;ps, peas, rosGtpcs aud a little cora, If the
seasons should yet provo ia:arn',!e f." dies
crops. An ncrc Of tuTni;.s should :o-v he sowu
for every t'2ta'v hogs to lie cat,enr,! Civc
your hogs :hc bsueGt of the pea field until
the last of October; put them in n pen with
large trough through the middle; ge: an 81
gallon kettle, md put roci; cr brick furnace
aroun': it, G..d cover with an open she'd This
is all t;'at is wanted for 50 hogs. Tut into the
kettle fire bushels Of turnips, aud any other
vegetable 80" may lave 10 erare, and cover
with wa.er. When Ecarly done, stir in hnlf
Lnshcl Of corh ground into !,on,iry aud hand.
full Of salt. When lcnc, turn into a sion tub
10 cool. Refill the kettle with the sam. inprc.
dents. and if you have any peas they can take
the place of corn. Slop the hogs night and
morning and have r!enty OF water handy, nn.l
at the'end otsthirty days you will have your
hogs gsfattened Ike Kentucky hogs. on ono acre
of tnrnips and MiFty bushels of corn. This
experiment proved lust fall upon 10 hogs, and
can be relied upon ns the cheapest and most
economical plan of fa:tenng hogs.
The next thing would recommend il tue
sowing of one acre Of barley, frr every four
horses to be worked plantation This
should Le done OIL the rici:esLrlah.l, anI at
three separate aowirgs; onr :L.rl in Septem-
her, one third in October and one third in No
vember This will be ready to cut in March.
April and May. 1t can be cut and fed from
the milk state, until the boards get hard. A.
ter that il. can be thrashed aud GROUND, aud the
meal mixed with cut oats, or any otinshf kind Of
provender. Work horses thrive weH on this
kind of food. No crop Of small grain pays so
well rs barley. It has yielded in this State, Sc
bushels 10 the acre. and to attatn the desired
result, wouid.recommeni the application Of
300 lbs. Of Peruvian Gnano mixed; we'll with
200 lbs. Of Plaster or Gypsum. II you cannot
get Plaster or Gypsum. get Whi,lock.s Fsrtil-.
izer as all other standard maDures are not
worth so much lessed nshes. ] have tried
nearly all Of them during the last three years,
and With one OF two exceptions. they arc the
Seriest hunbugsii oithe age. Throw them
Asidets make youB ewn fertilizer with equal
portfonssof Peruvian g nano. Lime and Gyp
,na. This compound will give you larger re-i
suits Tor fsthe Money expended than. .ahy of the
fertilizers now offered for sale in the way y-sof
Manipulated" or STANDARD Manures." ,sEFs
] would also recommend the go xing Of one
acre Of the Egyptian or Black ,Oass. and on
acre of Alabama, or asSso,hsr ssrly wheat
for every horse and mule 10: be fedsoh tbsplap-
tatiop, Sow the oats earlv in Cte t1f,sr af. tka