Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1869-01-29
w hat is an Acre Worth

or Small one, Will rightly compute the
value Of an are, and set the proper worth
by it, We may then expect that material
and real wealth to the State that is only
now imaginative. We call ourselves an
agricultural people, and admit that the
wealth Of our State lies in its productions.
! To great extent, We may say altogether,
that as penple, we are dependent upuu
opr cotton, rcc and tobacco crops for what
money we make. AS to our corn crop, We
hardly feel like counting it in, if we judge
from thousands Of bushels that are brought
from the West 10 supply the demands of
our people, and the thousands upon thous-
ands Of dollars We send out Of the State
for that article alone not counting the
millions Of pounds Of bacon that we buy
also from the West.
Every man that culLivates few acres OF
land imagnes that lie must put half or two
thirds in cotton ; that cotton is the ouly
thing that will bring ready money. We
would not have word to say about plant.
,ipg cotton if each acre planted brought
bag but when we know that if it takes
from three 10 four acres of our worn lands
20 make a bag, We feel that il is labor and
money thrown away, and that tho farmer
has never Tor moment SAT down aud cal
oulated the worth of an acre we'll manured
and we'll worked.
An acre Of land-well manured, we'll taken
care OF, is worth from $50 to $lO0. An
acre that will bring twenty-five bushels Of
wheat and thirty bushels of corn the same
year, is worth 500 per acre and any
pains taking farmer can make an acre pro.
duce that. Themanure dropped in stables
or yards by horses, cows, hogs, sheep, &C.,
will manure one acre we'll. We speak of
the small farmer, the man with but little
stock Care and economy is all that is
needed to save manure ; but SO long as we
drive along in our slip stod way of making
and saving manure, We may expect but
poor returns from the soil. II the small
farmer could be induced to take half the
pains the New England farmer does OH his
place, there would not be farm in Bald
win county that would not be worth at
least $40 to the acre.
But what we desire to cal! the especial
attention OF our farmers to is the import
nnce Of manuring at least one acre we'll and
planting it in something that will bring him
500 clear 1t can be done, and done
easily, but there must be system about it.
Let the small farmer who read, this, look
at the nearest city or town to which he
trades, and see what article Of provisions
sell readily. Take, for instance, sweet
potatoes, everybody eats them, and they
find ready sale; they keep well, and can
be sold by the wagon load or bushcl, at
from ifty cents to one dollar.
A farmer knows how many bushels an
acre will bring, and he knows that he can
get 800 to an acre even at fifty cents per
busbel. Take the ground pea it will sell
readily and bring a good price. Take
onions. take Irish potatoes. take peas. Pu.
the acre in anything but cotton, and 1t will
bring more money than cotton would.
Much manure is sometimes saved and
wasted by trying 10 manure ten to twenty
acres, when in fuct it should have been put
on one or FIVE. Farmers get discouraged
and say, it won't pay to save manure, be-
cause they have tried it. and their crops
were failure; and failed because they
tried to do too much with too little, just as
a foolish house wife would attempt to make
one blanket cover three beds.
Reduce manuring to system; make a
calculation, bow much one bushel of manure
will manure well; how much one horse
load will manure well, and then pu. it on
accordingly. Don't guess at the matter,
but 60 at it like sensible men, and in few
years. with deep ploughing, you will find
your lands doubled, quadrupled in value.
Take one acre at a time; see that It pays
for the manure put on. it. and make It 20
rich that you can always say, there is one
acre that will pay me well, if no more ;
but It is "a easy 70 make ten do it as twenty
or Fifty. Turn under in tie fall the green
crops Of peas Or the rank weeds, and much
hes hss besn accomplished !, bat our small
faruers, need not expect ever to improve
their lands 90 long: as they plan. cotton aud
it takes about four acres to make bale.
Their lands lw,ll wear out and they. grow
poorer sysry year. and when they die, the
farm Y not so.ib gh two dasollars per acre. :,
y Remember. that An sere Of land 10 worth
] $50 when welI 8mauursd, and il, Hill be
j worth sloo IT, ksp. ,wsll ymsnured, fos il
4 will bring provisions TO- that smessss any
lime. Will saur ANAL farmers ae, upon
} J the asssges.ion hereafter { We. know ol
i isithosaerss in MiIlsdgeyitls that produced
: forty seven bnsbsls of wheat aud the, same
J tgsars sprslaeed eigh.y.faa,s bushels, Of ceip
Il IL asiLss meaassd ftom the. stshls,s bst ysll
q .I.3as,Ht hS,j usoH ,,lor,rh a ruh.t l51.aS tnr