The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-03-29
AN AMATEUR FARMER..-GERMAN
LABOR.

farmers especially, to look upon the am
ateur farmer with feelings of derision.
But as the world grows older, opinions
change, and in respect to amateur farm
ers there is likely to be a complete revo
luton in public sentiment. From being
regarded with something akin to con-
tempt, they are gradually ascending the
scale in public estimation, and seem des-
tined very soon to be reckoned the pio-
neers in agricultural improvement. In
England they have long held this high
position in the public judgment. For a
long period Of years they have there been
regarded as the leaders in agricultural
development. Especially have they mer-
tied this high position in the improve
ment of the stock department of the
farms of England. Being for the most
part gentlemen of leisure and means,
they have gone on crossing and develop
ing the best points in different breeds of
stock, until the English breeds of horses,
cattle, sheep, hogs, etc., cannot be e1-
celled by any nation under the sun. In
America, and even here in old South
Carolina, we have few men who, for
the love of rural pursuits, devote much
of their leisure time, and great deal Of
their private means, to agriculture in its
varied forms. Mr.. B. F. Crayton, of
Anderson, certainly belongs to this class
of farmers. He was raised from boyhood
to mercantile pursuits, and has been long
considered one of the oldest and most
successful of Anderson merchants. A
few years before the war Mr.. Crayton
purchased small farm within two miles
of Anderson, of equal proportions Of
bottom and upland, in worn and ex-
hausted condition, with but little fresh
land for timber. Upon this tract he
commenced on small scale at first, but
gradually expanding as time wore on,
series of experiments and improvements
in agriculture and the rearing of cattle
and hogs, until now Mr.. Crayton is justly
entitled to the proud appellation of a
model farmer. Very recently he has
improved his homestead by the erection
of a large and comfortable dwelling
house for his family, together with aev-
eral neat cottages for tenants. Along
with this spirit of improvement Mr.. O.
developed in his own nature what many
Of his friends did not expect-an enthu-
siastic admiration for the cultivation of
flowers. He erected hot house with an
underground furnace for heatinginwinter
and glass covering for summer. Here
he has great variety of shrubs and
flowers, towering and blooming all sea-
SONS of the year, and where Mr.. G: and
his estimable lady and Aunt Lizzie, and
other members of the family, while away
many leisure hour pleasantly and prof
itably. The love of flowers, though
natural to the female sex, when devel-
oped in the sterner sex, to my mind, in
dicates genial and hospitable nature.
So it is in this case, assuredly. Mr.. C's.
heart and house is always open to his
friends whenever they feel disposed to
claim his hospitality.
But our principal design in this article
was to call public attention to the COM
plete success of Mr.. Crayton in the en-
ployment of German labor on his farm.
Before passing to this point, however,
permit us to remark that Mr.. Crayton
has satisfactorily established a few axio-
metic facts in farming in this country
which it would be well to heed. First,
the great value of underground or tile
draining, for upland as we'll as bottom ;
and second, the great value of small
grain crops, especially barley, in any
we'll devised plan of farming. The bar
ley he considers more certain and more
valuable crop for stock purposes than
any of the other small grain crops, oats
not excepted. But to raise barley the
land must be highly improved.
For some six years or more Mr.. Cray
ton has been experimenting in the en-