Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1878-01-03

years ago why tillS state OF allalrS! tcr.
taiuly not because this is not farming
country. Her river and creek bottoms will
compare favorably with any Of tho State
Her soil is rich, fertile and productive
Aud, when we consider her pure and life
giving waetr, her pleasant mountain brcczcs.
her mild and genial climate, her railroad
facilities and educational advantages, there
seems to be nothing in the way to make this
the garden spot Of the great far,u, tic South.
There arc many reasons why the Turning
interest Of our country has not advanced
more rapidly. We will only present a few.
l. The farmers, generally, in this country
do not work enough. Virtually they only
work about three fourths of their time, but
arc generally considered tho hardest working
class in the world. The merchant is always
bchind the counter, tho blacksmith is always
Mt the anvil, the mechanic is ever at tho
bench and the lawyer is always anxious and
ready to take your case; but the farmer
leaves unimproved, perhaps the most i'm
portant part of his time. lie should en-
ploy his leisure time during tho winter
season in cnrchiug and preparing his land
for tho next year and in Improving his farm
in various other ways. This suggests an-
other reason.
g. Farmers look too much at the present.
They exert ali their power for the present,
letting the future take care Of. itself. In
this way they materially iniure their laad
and in the long run come out far bchind
what they would have done otherwise IF
farmers would devote the three or four
months, actually lost in tho winter season,
to the general Improvement of their farms,
in ten years from to day the products of our
lands, instead Of decreasing, would increase
thirty per cent, the value of the lard would
Increase in on equal ratio and our country
would be raised to that agricultural elevation
which her geographical situation demands.
8. The farmers in this country generally
cultivate too much land for their force.
Their motto seems to be to an alarming
extent, ho,u much can Wc cuNivotc, when
it should be, kom pcU can aec cultirotc. If
some of our large farms were put in the
hands of farmers of other countries, they
would support twice the number of laborcrs
employed on them, while they now scarcely
support those that arc en- them. Iu fact.
some of our best farmers have to buy corn,
&C., every year. But it is maintained that
they raise cotton with which they can buy
their provisions, &c 1t is true they raise
cotton; and by the time they buy their
guauo and spend the extra labor that is
required in cultivating cotton, it presses them
"to make the ends moet." This calls up
another reason,
d. Our farmers plant too much cotton.
This county is more adapted TO grain, &c.
than to cotton. The farmers are greatly
encouraging immigration; not Of men, as it
should be, but of horses, mules, hogs, corn,
-four, &c. One great cause of this is, the
raising of cotton Oconee ought to produce
every bushcl of corn, every barrel of -four
and every head Of hogs and cattle that her
demand requires. We believe it has been
the general observation that farmers have
erred in raising so much cotton and that
they have learned so by experience; for
they have planted this year more corn,
wheat, &C., and less cotton. This we
believe to be the preface to better times.
g. The farmers do not keep up with the
agricultural improvements and Advancement
of the day. There are many men who seem
to be opposed to improvements and unfortu.
natcly for the country too ma y Of them arc
farmers. Farming is just os capable Of i'm.
provcment as any other occupation Of man.
And If farmers want to make any progress,
they must get out of tho old rut. There is
great difference between the farming Of the
United States in 1877 and that in TIT.
LIYENEL.