The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1873-04-09
Diversity OF Crops.

~ Al good many Farmer and agricul-
tural writer's are earnest in Zee IN.
mending a diversity Of craps: GU the
principle OF not ,puttipg'toc mehy eggs
within ono, bmsket. This is all very
'wcll within certain limits it probe.
bly, may be the best in the long run in
view of tho nee dS Of tie 'soil for a ro.
tation Of crops, although specialties
ih farming, as i'll manufacturing
closely adhered to through long
series of years, may be able to show
as good average profits az any other
system. .'''The ereat'adbanthge in the
uaro Of spUcialriec consists in the su
pcrior skill .acq aired'ih culture and
marketing, and the reputation Incl.
dent thereto. But it can be recon.
mended ouly when, tho lobutibn is
faSora bio. and, VIII edo the. cuitiyator is
a pushing, energetic man, determined
to do his best in his line, and to avail
himself to the utmost of evary i'm.
provement and every experience
which can Increase his chances for
success.
For the mass Of farm ers diversity
of crops is best because not so ex.
hausting to the soil--though in this
sense diversity means rotation. 1t
10 the. proper rotation which should
be studied, and not mere diversity g,
because under the latter system there
rs sure to be more or less of conflict.
For instance, a man who thinks ho
can grow general farm crops and a
rotation of fruit crops Mt the same
time, will be apt to "miss it" very
seriouslyj unless his taot, cnergey and
capital are in excess Of tho common
run of farmers Fruit needs more
cares thought and study than farm
crops, andr being more perishable
must be attended to and marketed at
certain seasons}. or total loss is tho
result. Ia most sections Of country
strawberries for instance, ripen about
the time that clover is in blossom,
and farmer ,atteh ptfng to grow
both these crops, andwho is at all
wanting In; ;tact, executive. forge or
capital, would suffer loss on'one or
the other. A different set of hands
would be required for each at the
same time, and his own supervision
would be divided between both. The
fright mon" will find no serious
trouble about it, but "right men" in
farm management ore far from p.enti.
full. The common run of farmers will
be sure to burn their'fngers whenever
they attempt to combine fruit culture
on any considerable scale (small fruit
particularly with general farming !;
hence a diversity of crops when re.
commended to farmers should be un.
derstood to mean such as. follows each
other in. natural orderias to- periods
for maturing. 10 grain we have rye,
wheat, oats and corn, and then potat
toes in fruits, strawberries, rasp-
berries, blackberries, peaches and
grapes about the same time, then
pears and apples last. Other fruits
may be added in certain districts
currants, goosebcrries, apritbts Or
necta rincs, cherries or plums--but
those fir,tth entioned make good r5-
tation, and give a fruit.growcr a sufI;-
ciently lively season by attending
proparly to each, both before and
after the crop season. 1t is the same,
too|witk tho: cereals and root DROPS
IN general fhrniing, as with hay and
stock added, any farn er with only or.
dinary energy and capital will find
every moment fully employ ed-so
much sd that his periods of rest and
recreation will be few and far be.
tween.