Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1877-10-11
WALHALLA, CAROLINA, THURSDAY OCTOBER H. 1877


ing does not pay. The first reason that
occurs to us is the amount Of time lost on
an average farm. Work begins about the
middle Of April, and last, till the frat of
December. Hero we have a clear loss Of
four and a half months of tho year. Over
one third of tho year is spent in idIencss.
But we will take the timo usually termed the
"busy season. from May to August, thothreo
months Of hard work, and these three
months aro main working months. The
rest of tho year, or the other nine months,
arc spont in half play and half work. Du-
ring May, june and July, much timo, and
time that is exceedingly important, is wasted.
On tho average farm it will take two hours
every morning to "get off," The old plows
are out Of repair and the plow-boy must
"tinker" OF least on hour in the start end
thinker another hour during the day.
This is 80 with oil the tools and farming
implements, with all the carts and harness
on the place. Tho boy could 20 to mill
and get the corn ground while he is patch.
ing his gear or wedging and ticing up the
old wheels of his cart. We have seen
plantations cultivated with plows and gear
that wero not worth house room, and we
havo attended salos On plantations and seen
tho farming implements used in the Quilt
vation Of hundreds of acres Of land sell for
five or ten cents each, while the whole
amount of all such implement. and material
did not bring $40 cash, and they sold for as
much as they were worth They had
been tempered from 100 to 1000 times.
Months aud years had been lost in patch.
ing Of them.
Wo may safely say that caoh hand en-.
ployed during the busy season loses one day
in each week by not having all things ready
for his work. This day lost is a serious
hiDdrance and draw back to tn" farmer. 1t
may damage his crop from $40 to 800,
according as the season may be favorable or
unfavorablc for cultivation. During the
nine months of comparative leisure, or du
ring the four and half months of absolute
idlcnoss, why not fix up all these things2
Why leave the plough to be mended till the
day comes to use it. Why leave the ocythc
with ite fingers broken and its blade capped
till the wheat is ripe and ready to be out2
But this is always done. Who ever heard
of farmer preparing to save time though
he does hire his laborcrs by tho day, the
month, or tho year? Not ono in hund.od
eyer thinks ofsnch thing.
The loss sustained in cultivating ground
on which thero is no crop is another reason
Why farming ( does not pay.
Suppose farmer cultivatcs 100 acres in
corn. TO save scod corn he put one grain
in caoh hill 1--WE have seen this donc) and
thereby saves two bushels of corn. But
what with the ravuges of tho birds and mice
one-fifth Of it is dstroyed. II he replants
it tho rcplanted corn will not mature and is
often worthless. So he will cultivate twenty
acres for nothing, and therefore loses forty
barrels to save two bushels. Strange as
this may seem it is being practced all
over the State Any other business man
aged in tho same way would bo ruiuous
There is no other way by which man can
mako living with so little attention and
work. There is no other occupation that
allows six out Of the twelve mouths for idle.
ness.
| The waste through the caroleasucs and
indifference to the stock on plantation is
equally great. Fences and hogs and cows
are allowed to care for themselves and lot
of dogs are depended on to punish the hogs
and oattle for walking over and trcspassing
on the crops. If the hogs live until De
cember they are penned and fed for four
weeks and killed. II thoy starye to death
before December it is charged to tho ravases
of hog cholera, and not reckoned among the
serious lossos. As long as a man can get
his bacon and meal and flour furnished bim
for mortgage on an implanted crop, which
he can plant and make 10 tho three mouths,
May, juno and July, why should he worry
about hogs and cattle that are so unreasona.
bic as not to live without feeding7 The
wonder is that with oil these losses farming
pays as we'll as it does. There is no other
business known to us that could atand the
multiplied losses that farming cndures. 1t
is tho best and surost occupation in the
world, and man can make living by
farming who could not earn his bread at
anything else. c.-Bidlical Recort1er.
| WEST INDIAN AND SoUTn AMERICAN
TRADE.-No seaport in the United States
has position moro advantageous for en-
gaging in trade with Southcrly countries
than Charleston. Had the railroad to Gin
cpnati projected in 1886 been completed,
and trade with Havana, Rio and other
leading cities Of the tropics been FREQ and
pushed, Charleston to day would have had
a population of half million, and the
wealth which has rollod into Baltimore
would have como to our town.
In commencing now ora Of enterprise
and in casting about for tho best fields Of
eDdeavor, our merchants naturally look to
use tho natural advantages Of our situation,
and wo nrc pleased to SEQ arc investigating
tho practicahilitics Of engaging in this great
business, ,j0urnol 0r Commerce..