The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1869-09-29
What our Soil Needs.

Mr.. EDIToR: ! feel constrained
to caution you and your readers
against guano. Used as tho ma
jority of our farmors use it, it is Il
humbug--worse than TINT, it is Il
crying evil. We do not wish any
longer to farm after the old sys.
tenn Of farming what land we own
to lcnth, aud then throwing it
aside az ola field, for the purpose
OF clearing up Il new-ground or
moving West. Our lands are sus-
ccptihlo Of high Improvement, and
hereafter we must look 10 these
as bound to last us our lifetime,
and still bc fit for our grcut-grand
children to cultivate.
Now, sir, tho way our farmers
use yuano is after tho miserable,
Old, rNpludetl system Of lnnd-mur-
drr. pul on without any other
manure. guano is positive injury
I" land, und will wear it out in
onc-half the timo that no manure
at all would. Ii is Il stimulus,
and nothing more. 1t adds moth
ing to the permanent ingredients
OF the soil it forces the whole
strength Of tho soil into action,
which activity will be followed by
years OF harrcnncss.
The soil certainly needs two
things beside elbow grease pos
sibl y three. |, needs food and
rest-possibly stimulus. TO use II
parable: We have hired laborcr,
nnd sct him to work ut early
dawn. He works Till late ut night
without any intcrmission, without
even food. The moon comes out,
and wo say to him, "Work away,
my lad work away the night is
beautiful and time is precious."--
All night he tolls on, with neither
sleep nor food, and in tho morning
tho poor fellow is completely bro.
ken down. But we como out af.
ter our own comfortable rest, and
say, "llore. swallow this drink ol
whissoy, and work on, my boy"
lie drinks, becomes excited. and
works finely, till tho influence of
the liquor leaves him, whom he
finds that hc is completely worn
out. So wo treat our land. We
glve no appropriate food Of lime,
plaster, bone, DC. We give no
necdco rcst, and then, whom the
strength Of our land ia almost
gone, We make it throw out it's
little remaining force, under the
stimulating influence Of guano.
| admit that guano is an excel
lent thing To nse when tho land is
in IL very highly manurcd condi-
tion ; hut then, aud only then. l
have tried guano, and have made
excellent turn outs, but it always
leaves the ground comparatively
exhausted Of it's humus. 1t in not
however,, against guano, but
against the intrmperate use of it,
That | complain. Whiskcy is not
food, neither in guano manure
there liz something clHc needed bo-
side the stimulus. Gnuno may be
used with great profit on rested
land by itself, hut nowhere else,
Unless composted with munures.
| give above tho result Of my
experience. IT. diifers, ! know,
from The IDEAS Of some Of your
readers. hnt J am right, aud ]
know it
The Cultivation Of Barley.
a travelling correspondent Of
tho G"convillc (S. c. Enterprise
speaking Of crops ahovo and
around Newbcrry, says:
DR.. Moses G. Taggart, Of White
Hall, is II great advocate for barley
cnlture. lIo says ho mado $50
bushels on three acres Of lan1. 1t
is Of great value-oqual to corn or
hcttcr TO feed stock, soaked or
ground; and the barley in the
winter and early spring, growing
on rich land, makes tine pasture.
or may bc cut and fed green. The
barley on we'll prepared lands is
the most certain Of all other crops.
It is never Injured by cold or wet
or dry, nor by rust or mildew. like
other grain. 1t makes Itself ear.
lier than any other crop, being the
first to come to the relief of tho
farmer who likes plenty. Every
body ought to cultivate barley in
this country AZ n part of their
crop; bnt II is no uso to do SO
without enriching the land first,
thcn it wiIl surely pay. Mr. Tag.
gart sells his this year for &3.h0 ~
bushol to q brewer In Columbia.
1t is to be converted into lager
beor. Dr.. Taggart uses tho turn.
ing and subsoil plough freely in
the preparation Of his lands for
varions crops, especially for wheat
and barley, and Of course manuros
freely with home made and also
tho commercial, and finds it pro
stable to do 50. Hoisnot peculiar
'.' a al -. s.f