The Sumter watchman. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1855-1881, 1871-07-19
WE SHOULD RAISE MORE STOCK
IN THE SOUTH.

One ofthe great defects Of the farm
Ing practice of the South is want o
siteniion to stock of all kinds. o,
many places we'll adapted ts rbe raisins
of cattle. sheep. hogs, and horses, thu
farm work is doss BY mules obtaiuet
from abroad the laborers are fed or
pork produced in the West, the butter
used by the family comes frols the gro
Ger. the cattle and sheep are poor, i'll fed
aud neglected. and the hogs few and
un.hriity iu comparison with what they
should be.
Our farmers should understand that
the great reliance Tor the improvement
Of the soil is upon the stock of the farm
Without stock, 3 sufficient supply Of
domestic manures cannot be madc. and
the farm will inevitably decline in fer
tiliiy until its cultivation ceases to be
profiabie. Moreover. the farmer who
tries it. will find that it is more pro6ta
Bile to turn his surplus grain and roots
into beef, pork. mutton, butter aud q
cOplous supply OF valuable home made
manure, than 10 send it off to market at
q heavy expense for transportation
These remarks are more especially ap-
plicablc to our uplands of moderate
fertility. On rich alluvial lands and
swanp<. grain is made in sufficient
quantities 10 justify its sale. And in
the interior, wheat on improved lots is
generally a good farming crop Our
far~ers generally accept the principle
that it is not profitable to raise corn for
market on their uplands. but they do
not inquire sufficiently into the question,
whether on such lands grain may not be
prof soly raised for stock.
In Europe they keep large herd and
foeks BY means of their fine mesdows
aud pastures, and by raising large quan
titles OF roots for winter feeding. BY
this means they not only have the finest
meat. bur milk. butter. cheese. and
wool; and raise manure enough to keep
their lands up to the highest point OF
produciiveness We might adopt their
system here with some modification.
wi.h great advantage. There are nr
better .tural pastures in the Union.
than may be round in the mountain
districts Of the South. as well as those
below tide water, in the Eastern par's
As our winters are short. it will reon'-
comparatively small area to be p /
in roots and clover, and other ~ses,
to support u large stock.
The manure raised. instead Of being
appnrd 10 gram crops. as in the old
Countries and in the Northern States
where The system has been adopted to
some extent. should here be applied to
cotton. / know frcm nv own cxpc-
rirnce. thai even under the old syst m
where the siork are allowed to run in
che woods during summer. and are
tparinely I'D d .ring the winter. with
the offai of the grain crops, sufficient
manure can be raised per head TO max"
4J0 lb. bale Of COTTON. II they we're
provided will, good summer pastures.
aud with plenty of hay and fnEnips
daring The winter. the quantity of ma
nure wou!d be intellectually increased.
spd it's quality much enhanced
The murc roni crops. there would he
the mnrs stock; The more stock, the
more manrre; The more manure the
auore cotton. Under this system We |
,uighi make as mach cotton as We do. |
on one third Of the land. save the mou
sy paid for fertilizers. aud supply our
selves with an abundance of fat beef
aud mutton. milk aud butter, articles
that are extremely rare, even on the
tables Of our wralthiest farmers-,hc
sorc shame TO them that it is 80
But the only way our farmers can be
induced to keep large stock Of cattle,
is to convince them that they can make
more cotton thereby and a: less cost
No system will be adop ed by them tia,
does not revnlve around This pivot.
There is u"w an awakening ameag the
sgriculturali>fs Of the South to the
necessity Of improving the breeds Of
their domestic animals Almost any
person OF proper qualifications who will
undertake the business Of raising ami
insls of improved breeds. will 6nd it a
prof business. Such anima.s are
being constantly brought southwark at
great expense ard with some risk, 90
account Cf change Of climate, food, etc. |
4 trader =, the South possesses many |
end obvious advantages, which may be |
summed Up in one seu,euce. lie has
the market at his door.
Tile raising of 6ne horses is business
which may he probably followed in
some por'ions.-.Southerner, in Ameri-
cun INock Journal