The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1874-06-24

PROVISION CROPS.


of turnip patches, and 500 bushels
must be grown to the acre, instead
Of 100. Parts of England would
be q poor farming country without
turnips, and this country is better
adapted, naturally, to turnip grow
ing than England.
It is not expected that any far
mer of the South will lose sight Of
the value of cotton; but if he is
wise, he will not fail to see the
necessity of growing abundant pro-
vision crops. This hill country is
singularly adapted to both.
To use these advantages in such
a way as to be called successful
farming, requires accurate knowl-
edge Of the capacity and of the
constituents of the various soils on
the farm. It requires more care,
more skillin preparing the ground
and pitchingt the crop, more atten-
tion to the details of working, more
good common sense and hard think
ing, in short, than falls to the lot Of
young men who think they are far
mers because they have been bred
on farms.
The false notion that successful
farmingis a very simple thing, and
requires more muscle than brains,
is the chronic malady of this coun-
try. The science of farming is the
highest and the most difficult to mas
ter, Of all the sciences. It is es-
pecially so in this country, ofvaried
soil and Of climate adapted to all
staple crops, grown North of
the thirty-third parallel Of latitude.
Its this which gives farming now
so much interest, and which is GER
tain to draw to this country, at no
distant day, the capital and the in
telligence necessary for its develop
ment.
Whenever farmers in the hill
country come down to the common
sense rule, that the cotton crop
however small or large it may be,
must be clear net profit of the farm,
the era Of successful farming here
will begin; prosperity will show it
self in all departments of industry;
immigration Of the right class will
crowd the railroads; the price of
land will rise; schools and univer-
sites will revive, and the moral as
we'll as the political aspect Of the
country will be changed.
The making Of good crops Of
cotton at heavy cost, without en-
hancing the value of the land, not !,
only does not add to the farmers
wealth, but it is apositive injury
to the country. Indeed: it may be
stated, that the industries which |
raise high expectations and induce !
men to make blind investments. al !
ways result in disastrous failures.
We may Yet have reason to deplorc
the discovery Of the phosphate beds /!
on our coast, because of the I'M !
pctus it has given to gambling i'll !
cotton culture. If the cotton-far- !,
mers will proceed cautiously on
cash basis, they can hold their cot
ton indefinitely without loss, and
control the cotton market. The
enhancement Of the yalue Of the
land by raising stock and provision
crops, while it diminishcs the quan-
tity Of commercial fertilizers ncces-
sary for the cotton crop, year by
year, Will quad:uplc the interest on
the cotton held from market. Ev-
crybo,ly knows that cotton on hand
during the Summer months. is bet
ter than money 10 bank. This is
not practicable in any other way,
than by making the entire cotton
crop the net profit Of the farm
This is just the point at which the
Interests Of the cotton planter and
the commission merchant conflict.
The interest Of the country at
large is on the side Of the cotton
planter. It doesn't matter to the
merchant how much it costs to
make ,Ae cotton, so that the cotton
is made! Oyer-planting holds the
farmer /. slave to the merchant.
Over-planting encounters Difficult
ties in tie beginning, involves risk
throughout the season, and more
frequently ends in disastrous fall
ure than in partial success. 1t
never results in the success antlcl-
natca. Hence, the best cotton
planters Of the middle country are
curta;lins, year after year, their
cotton acreage.