The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1870-02-03
Hints about Farming.

The planting season is rapldly approach.
ING. Every day of good weather should
be employed in properly preparing the
ground to receive the seed in the spring.
Our limited experience in planting, con-
yinces us that field thoroughly prepared
win weld, with the same cultivation, dou-
ble.as much as one prepared in the oid
fashioned way. We are supported In this
conclusion by the combined experience OF
the most practical and successful farmers
in the country. The time has come when
our farmers are compelled to make radl-
cal changes in their manner Of cultivation,
or emigrate. The old system of cutting
down and wearing out must be abandon
cd. 1t was always shortslghted and
suicidal policy, even when wood lands
were cheap and abundant, and the in
crease OF other property made the far
mer somewhat independent of the value
of his land. But now his land is the far
mer's fortune, and in proportion as it al
lowed to deteriorate in value, by misman-
apement or otherwise, he becomes poorer,
and has no resource left to compensate
his loss. It therefore behovcs every far-
m.r to exercise the utmost care and skill
TO preserve and improve his lands. In
making an effort to do this, we are as
cured Of success by the agricultural histo-
ry of every country where the expert
ment has been made. In the Northern
States of this country land has been
steadily increasing in value for years
cot in price alone, but in intrinsic valae =
i'm capacity for production And we are
not without examples nearer home. In
our own State, We have the experience OF
some OF our most successful farmers to
convince US, that our lands may not only
lie made annually richer, by judlcicus cul-
ture,. but that the system OF culture ne
cessary to effect this result pays annually
o large per cent. upon the increased out
Law Of attention, labor and capital it de-
mands. 1t would not be pertinent to the
purpose of this article, even if we were
competent, to suggest in detail the errors
of our system Of agriculture or any par
ticular manner of correcting them-this
is the special province of an agricultural
journal Zone at least Of which every far
mer ought to read regularly,)-but we
will venture to throw out some hints in
reference to the preparation of the soil
for planting. To do this properly and
thoroughly, almost every farmer in the
District will have to provide new set OF
implements. These are just as important
as a good set of tools to mechanic
Nothing but botch work can be done With
bad tools. The demand in this District
ought to support q first class warehouse
dealing in farming implements alone
Having procured o good turning and sub
soil plow, every acre Of land to be plant
cd in corn and cotton, should be thor
oughIy broken up with those, to the depth
of at least ten inches, and lay off the
rows with large shovel plow, and fol-
low in the same furrow with long
tongue-plow. Deposit the manure, either
domestic or commercial, in this furrow,
and plow out each row, forming bed
Open small farrow above the manure,
and drop the seed and cover lightly. In
the last operation q 'corn and cotton
planter" would save much labor and time.
Cultivate shallow, and keep down the
grass, and good crop will almost certain
ly follow. These last suggestions are
borrowed in substance from Mr. David
Dickson, who is regarded as the best au-
thority in agricultural matters, in the
South. We followed his printed formula
last year as nearly as we could with the
implements at command, upon q small
field of corn and cotton, and our expert
ence confirms the practical wisdom of the
author. Notwithstanding the length of
the drought, and the intensity of the
heat, our corn seemed to suffer very little,
and turned ont well. They grew off wig
orously and kept good color through
the entire season Itshed very few squares
Or bolls and yielded more than t,oice as
much, as the land, with the seasons, un-
der the common system of cultivation
would have produced. We have thrown
out these hints in the hope that they may
prove of some practical benefit to the far
mers of our District-Cdrolina Spartan.
A PLEA FOR CURRY CoMBs-M Moham
med was not only great as . false prophet
but great in the matter of hygiene. Ma
king laws for the filthy Arabs, he estab
lished as one of the commands of his re
ligion that his followers should wash
themselves every day, and when they
were on the desert, where there was ne
water, they should rub themselves will
sand. There is an insensible perspiratior
continually passing through the pores o
the skin of animals rs we'll as men, ant
when from any reason these pores arr
closed in either, the health Of both suffers
What the water and the sand did for Mo
hammed's followers, the tongue of the o2
(made with card on its upper sidc,) th,
rolling of the horse on the rough ground
the scratching of the sheep and hog or
trees and fences, do for them; and wher
by reason of confinement in stables, ant
constant work when out, it is made i'm
possible for the OK or the horse to do wha
Tic needs of their natures demand th,