Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1867-01-17
Aaritnltnral department,
From the Southern Cultivator.
WORK FOR THE MONTH.

The ruinous drought of last year, the great scar
city and high price of food in all places NOT directly
upon the lines of railroad the tax upon Cotton, al
should be taken into consideration, in pitching tht
crop the current year. Let us contract the ares
planted in cotton to those soils naturally rich, o.
which it is in our power to make 1t SO; and In pre-
pairing for all crops, we must plow deeper, and ma
nure more heavily than hitherto. We must produe1t
our food crops at home, and cultivate them "ltl
greater care and attention than ever oe1ore. Il
Let us bear in mind that there is no profit in tht
labor of freedmen, unless working directly under
white mans supervisor, and no supervision IS hal
so valuable as that of the planter himself. Hlrec
farm labor-the white intelligent labor OF the
North seldom pays, unless the farmer is with, ano
works with his farm hands himself. Our, crops
are, perhaps, more profitable; but as the labor We
get is less trusty, it amounts to the same thing
that is, without close supervision, and IN most
cases, without an energetic white man working
with the plantation hands, no profit can be made
on their labor. The consequence; will be, in h teW
years, that few farmers will employ not more thar
eight or ten hands-iust what they can keep un
der their own eye and thereby hold them to rigid
accountability. Moreover, in all planting opera
tons hereafter, we have got to look more to econo
nv, and especially economy Of labor. The waste
on some of our large plantations before the war, IN
a wear, the owner would be now satisfied with, tc
get as his net income. We must now reform and
improve our agriculture or both whites and blaekt
viii perish together. ,,
Attend now to plantation repairs protecting the
crops about to be planted, by good, substantial
fences, and convenient gates. Rail fences will last
much longer, if their corners are not allowed te
grow up in bushes and brambles. Another impor
tant matter is hill side d!tching DO not allow the
blowing and hillside ditching is performed with
much less labor than beginners apprehend. Re-
pair old farm buildings where necessary Also,
look over and repair tools and implements, and
secure the new ones you need Look closely after
YOUR plantation stock Do not suffer your working
animals to get low in flesh. Two sleek, well con-
dtioned mules, will perform more labor than three
or four, as ordinarily kept. See that the horses
and mules get the corn intended for them. Keep
no more mich COWS than you can keep in good
order A single cow, literally fed with peas corn
meal, roots &C., in addition to the ordinary dry
food, will yield richer milk and more Of it, and
nicer butter, and more rich manure, than two or
dinariy do. So with swine. Begin to fatten them
from the day they will first eat, and continue 1t un-
til they are ready to slaughter.
Still continue to add to the manure yard every
thing available Lay in also, good stock of Gu
ano, Super-P Phosphate, and other commercial man,
ures. That Super-Phosphate will pay well on cot
ton, we have had occular demonstration the past
season, but we should always use it in connection
with Peruvian or Pacific Guano or stable manures.
You cannot keep up the fertility of the soil by any
single increment, but the two elements likely to be
needed, Peruvian Guano with Flour OF Bone, phos-
phatic guano or good super phosphate, will sup
ply. Next to these, potash, lime and gypsum are
most likely to be needed
Plow up first your stubble fields and lands that
have been at rest. This should be done early and
done well, that the trash turned under, may be con-
verted into plant food.
Oats of the hardy varieties should be iberally
sown to procure abundant early forage. Rye may
also still be sown for seed Clover, too, may be
sown with both these crops, and will do well on
good soils-the great danger being that the crab
grass may master it in the summer-a danger to
which fall sown clover is less exposed.