The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1871-10-12
E.om the Southern Cultivator for 0ctoosr.
Diyersifying Crops.

For some time this has been a very popular
theme with agricultural writer's. 1t is indeed a
most important subject, and one that will very
soon be forced upon the attention of so intelli-
gent class of men as the Southern farmers, by
more potent influences than lecturing and scold-
ing and fault-inding articles. General laws
control the character of the industry which
prevails in any given locality not only in gen.
eral, but in detail. When circumstances and
conditions change, a little time is required for
new adjustment, but it will certainly come.
Great revolutions in farm economy cannot be
achieved in day nor year-we have first the
blade, then the stalk and last of all the ripe ear
of corn.
1t may be laid down as general rule that in
business matters, men will pursue that course
which will yield the most money in the shortest
time. We decry our ancestors for cutting down
the forest, wearing out the land and moving to
the west. With all the "neao lights" we have,
there is not the slightest doubt, that If placed
in exactly the same circumstances that they
were, with even the "new lights" to guide US
we should do eractky as they did. The course
they pursued was profitable one once; but it
can no longer be practiced, because the forests
are gone and the old exhausted lands will not
do what the fresh lands did-and this failure
in the land "to yield her increase" is causing
eyery one to ask, what shall we do-and the
policy that is best under existing circumstances
will soon be developed Superficial thinkers
point to England, Belgium and other densety
populated countries and say, behold how much
can be produced on small area go and do
likewise forgetting that density Of population
makes labor both effective and cheap, and land
exceedingly dear. Under such circumstances
it is the obvious policy to make the utmost
possible out of every square foot of land. Near
every large city in this country similar condi-
tions prevail, and Herewith a similar Poilcy
holds good. Is this so because city people are
much wiser and far-seeing than other people? !?
not particle of it. Why does not the market
garden, or the market gardeners policy of high
culture, extend farther and farther into the
country? Obviously, because the conditions
change and they cease to pay. If such de.
gree of concentration of labor and capital will
not pay in our country, how far may we go in
the opposite extreme-to the limit our ances-
tor went who planted 20 to 80 acres to the hand ?
By no means, if the same kind of crops and
same quantity of each is to be cultivated-but
if more kinds of crops are cultivated and the
quantities of each somewhat modified, We may
possibly 90 even farther than they did. In the
first case no, because the nature, texture and
condition of the soil has so changed that the
same labor applied to it, will not produce re-
munerative crops. When land was fresh, su-
perfcial and imperfect plowing answered pret--
ty we'll, because the soil was naturally loose and
the subsoil was still perforated with the numer-
Gus openings made by decaying roots these
circumstances coupled with the original fertlll-
ty of the soil, made it possible to raise respect
able crops with little labor. Not SO now.the
soil has lost its original frability and fertility,
the perforated subsoil has yielded to an impre-
vious "hard pan," and it is impossible to raise
remunerative crops of cotton and corn upon a
small amount of labor, or without manure.
With such changed conditions it is folly to
pursue the old, and in former years profitable
plan, of applying dear labor to large quantities
of land put in crops requiring much labor-say
ten acres in corn and ten or fifteen acres in cot
ton to the hand, as the practice formerly was.
It will not pay. The land can be had cheap
enough, but labor is too dear to waste it thus.
What then? Why will all crops requiring much
labor {if it is good policy to cultivate such) con-
centrate. Diminish the area devoted to them
to practicable minimum, manure we'll, plow
deep, pulvcrize thoroughly, establish conditions
under which labor may work TO advantage and
work proftably. What then is to be done with
the rest Of the farm-put it in crops which re-
quire little labor-and which may be used to
advantage at home, If they cannot be sent prof.
itably to market-such as small grains, grasses,
clover fruits &C., &c. These canrbe converted
into stock or meat or wool or butter or cheese,
which will bear transportation to market-but
at the same time leave vast heaps of manure at
home.
Such are the general indications in this mat
ter. Each locality must decide for itself what
adjustment it can make with profit We are no
advocates of utopian theories about raising
things at home at double or threble the cost
at which they may be bought elsewhere-but it
does behoove the Southern farmer to look keen
ly and sharply into the matter, and ascertain
whether he is not purchasing many things which
he might produce cheaper at home, if the mat
tiers on the farm were rightly adjusted.