The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1875-09-23
Col. J. Wash Watts Experience With
the Grasses and Stock.

tcnllOn OI IL laISc Ci'I9' VI W. ~
thanks to such writers as Rev. e.. w.
Howard and DIR. Lee, | have thought II
might add some little to their testimony,
for me to give some of the experience OF
twenty years in raising GRASS, hay, turn
ips, sheep, cattle, and butter" | have
never tried to make chcesc,) and [ am
ready to hold up the hands of these men
while they battle for so good cause, and
endorse their arguments with facts.
Previous to 1862, 1 was farming in my
native county, Laurcns, S. c., but always
having fancy for stock and grass, and
believing that 1 could do better in North,
ern Georgia than in Laurenss, L moved
and settled in Cass County, about twelve
miles from Mr.. Howard, where | farmed
on the mixed plan with fine success, rails
ing as fine clover as have ever seen grown
anywhere else. When first began SOW
ing clover seed, found the prejudiccs OF
my neighbors just rs strong against the
grasses as in my native State, but my
Success stimulated others, until that re-
gion has become fine clover country. L
left there during the war, and after the
war settled at Martins Depot, ,. u,
where have grown as good clover as |
ever saw. cutting one season three good
crops from the same land, but l am con-
yinced that we should not cut more than
two crops, and rarely more than one; as
it robs the land too much, the last crop
should be left on the land.
have made excellent hay of clover,
herds grass, and crab grass, and can tes-
tify that it is as easy to raise clover mere
as anywhere in the United States, 1t only
requiring of us the same efforts made by
Others. The main cause OF failure here
is, that most persons try to get a crop OF
grain and clover at the same time, when
the land is too poor for one crop. Clio
ycr should be sown on land previously
we'll cultivated in cotton, potatoes, peas,
or some cleanly hoed crop. | have sue
ceeded better sowing in March than any
other time, on land freshly plonghcd and
narrowed; and, after sowing, harrow
again, if convenient, but it makes but
little difference whether narrowed in or
not, as the first shower will put it in; be
sure to put no crop with it, unless it be
orchard grass oats will dry it up, and
ruin your stand. If weeds come up, all
the better, for they will garrison the clo-
yer against the crab grass, and will not
injure the crop.
I have raised turnips with fine success,
both here and in Georgia; have grown
three hundred bushels to the acre, with
but little trouble and expense, and have
no doubt we can raise three times three,
| if a proper effort be made. We usually
take up our turnips, and bed them like
potatoes, and feed, as we necu them, to
sheep and cattle.
Herds grass can be grown here to per-
fection. | find it growing on our branch
bottoms nearly everywhere [ go. Orchard
grass docs we'll here, and is the best mix
ture with rcd clover that Ihave tried, both
ripening at the same time. Wealso have
the Bermuda grass, and, from present in
dications, it will soon possess all the bot
tom land in this section, and the earlier
the better; then some people will have
grass and hay who had never known the
good of it f; and, for permanent pasture,
the Bermuda grass and white clover,
mixed, will make about as perfect pas
ture as any other known grasses, each
growing in its time, as if the other was
not present, and furnishing grazing near
ly all the year. Everybody knows crab
grass, but few knows its value for hay; it
rarely fails on well cultivated land and
makes excellent hay if cut while in
bloom and we'll cured in addition to
these we have an abundance of Japan
clover (Lespeaeza striata, and other grass
es, for sheep pasture, and assert without
fear of successful contradiction, that we
can raise sheep here as cheaply and prof
itably as anywhere this far North, and l
| am almost ready to say anywhere in the
United States, unless California furnish
es an exception: and this may be done to
a considerable extent without diminish
ing the cotton crop; but, on the contra
nv, bv grazing the waste places, we add a
fertilizer that is very cheap, the manu-
| facturer working for nothing and paying
his board. The sheep yield three crops,
wool, lambs and manure; either OF the
first two will more than pay all expenses,
leaving the other two clear profit.
1t is regarded good economy at the
North, on mixed farms, to keep one tor
every acre of tillable land. This can be
done on nearly every cotton plantation,
and will add to, rather than diminish, the
cotton; and when other crops OF sheep
feed fail, the cotton seed makes an excel
lent feed. have wintered ursheep en-
tirelv on raw cotton seed fed twice day,
at the rate of three bushels to the hun
dred sheep; even when VIC have plenty
of other feed, and we usually give them
some cotton seed, of which they are very
fond. Our sheep pay us much better IN
proportion to outlay, than any crop we
raise, and if ! had the money, know OF
no investment would rather make, than
to buy a few hundred Mcrino sheep;
want five hundred on our little farm and
will not be satisfied until get them.
AS an evidence of the profit of Mcrlno
sheep, will state that wintcring ewes last
winter cost fifty cents head, and twenty
five ycarlings averaged eight pounds OF
wool, some going as high as ten, W hlIc our
breeding rams shcared from fourteen to
twenty pounds; this wool is worth i'll the
dirt about thirty three and Il third cents
per pound. Ewes having lambs yield
about one-third less than those without
lambs, but always enough to pay Tor the
board of herself and lamb for year; so
the lamb starts out of debt, and pays well
as he goes, and never dies insolvent. The
greatest drawback to the sheep business
Is not the want of grass, hay, or turnps,
but the dog and thief; the former can be
disposed OF with shortened biscuit, but
tIc latter furnishes knotty question L