Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1870-08-26

Corn 81 cents. Cotton was not tried as
crop in this county until 1867. The small
number Of men who risked cotton that year
had to haul it to Alvcrado in Johuson coun.
ty, 80 to 40 miles from their farms, the near
est gin at that time. Tho crop Of 90 was
ginncd at home, thero being three gins run.
ming in the neighborhood of Acton---onc of
them by water and the others by horse power.
don't remember to have seen single bale
of cotton in tho county during the winter of
'GG. Last winter more than 100 bales pass.
cd through Acton, en- route for Calvert Sta.
lion, on tho Central Railroad, distant 140
niles. Cotton is carried to market on t'prarie
sohooners," that is wagons that will bear up
5000 pounds, drawn by dozen cattlc. Cot,
ton is planted about the 1st Of April, in beds
| 81 to feet apart, barred off as soon as it
comes up, aud then thinncd, and hocd aud
plowcd, and scraped, until tho 1st Of july,
unless the weather gets too hot sooner. The
planter can then rcet, if he chooses to- until
towards the Tst of September, when hc be-
gins 60 pick and pen, aud try to hire some
new conner to help him to pick and pen and
| pack and sweat, until the north winds blow
him and his uupickcd cotton out Of the field
away late--say about Christmas. If he has
,, cultivated prarie or high post oak sandy land,
he can show a half bale to the aero. Texas
bales weigh not less than 500 pounds If
be has cultivated Brazos valley land, he has
three fourths of bale, and in somo river
fields, if it is we'll gathered, it will reach one
bale to the aero. am counting now &c.
cording to the last two crops. don't pre-.
tend to say that you can do so next year.
"Thcrc is many slip betwixt the cup and
the lip" especially in Texas.
Ill II,
per bushel. Oats, also, do very WE'LL when
been doing very well on tho Brazos valley
land, usually worth, at digging time, Is cents.
Irish potatoes do as we'll as you would have
if you need them. Every farmer plants sor-
ghum, it will grow, wet or dry. Enough is
made up and stored away in whiskcy barrels
for family use, some is cut and stacked for
cattle in the winter and the hogs turned in
on the field till it is all "hoggcd down"
omitted to state that this healthy coun.
try-its hills and valleys, ridges, rocky bluffs
and rapid running streams of limestone,
water clear as crystal-couldn't be otherwise
We had ch!ls and bilious favcr in 1867,
since then the country has been as healthy rs
yours ever was. / am told the country was
quite healthy prior to the year 1866. That
year had pretty good epidemic Of chlls and
fever, but not SO bad as ,67 This is my
fourth summer here, and | am happy to say
| have not been sick a single day. Many
others can say the samo. Some cases. old
| rusty enca too, Of Arkansas chills, are impor-
ted and Texas charged with the fault [
have no doubt that portions of Texas are as
sickly as Arkansas or Florida. II they are
not they ought to be, counting tho affinity
| that malaria has for black gnats, musquito's,
water melons and big cotton, grown on low
rich soil. North western Texas, from Cooke
| County down to Bosquc, and from Collins
out West az far as you please, is rs rich
country as our glorious Union affords, with
as small amount Of sickness. l you doubt
this, come and see. Farming implements Of
all kinds, arc sold here by the ncrchants. -
A one, horse turning pow, white oak stock,
Avcry's patent, is worth ST. Two horse
plow, $40 to Sl2. Light Two horse wagons,
from ST. Louis shop, Sll0 to S120; harness,
bow frame and sheets Sl.l0 TO SlGO.
We have as fine peaches as any country.
| Apples have not been tried yet satisfactorily.
Several thousands scions were put out this
spring, they look we'll now. One tree in the
settlement, probably volunteer, had sixteen.
large apples on it last summer They were
very large and Of fine flavor 1t is thrifty
looking young tree now. Wild grapes arc
abundant. No vineyards have been tried
above Waco.
Horses stand next to farming according, to my
Judgement, but many men like the COW busi.
ness better. Horses and cattle pay 80 per
cent per annum on capital invested So say
the stock men, / give horses the preference,
probably because the stealagc is no, so heavy
among them as it is with cattle Two kinds
of horses are raised il Texas. The spanish,
ncar their native cline, hicxco is small,
heavily set, hardy and some what like mule
in habits. Mares of this stock If hands high
arc crossed with large American horses, pro.
ducing medium sized pony about 143 to Is
handsh high. This mongrcl class of half breeds
is thought to be the most useful kind of horse
in the grazing portions of the state. They
arc too small for harness, and are used prin.
cipally for driving stock on. The chief
market for the sale of them is found west of
the Brazos among the cow.men, hence the
me "cow pony" Stock horses of this half
anish breed can be bought for $40 per head
a four year old gelding sells for $50. Full
blooded American horses arc scarce as q stock
Where you meet with man who has large
American stock exclusively, he, will ask S35
to $40 per head. A four year old gclding
of this kind is worth S75 to $780, There il
not thorough bred turf horse in tho state,
that any body knows Of There are fcw
| heavily mussclcd nOpy horses of fine. form