The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1878-03-15
MIXED FARMING IN SOUTH CAROLINA

EDITOR SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR.-1
have mill, store and tavern, but I am a
farmer, and make everything else contri-
butablo to the farm, which contains 625
acres good SocaIicd cotton idnd, clay sub.
soil, all under substantial plank ard stake
and rider rail fences, aud under regular ro-
tation just organized, and now in tull op-
Grafton. The rotation is, 1st year, early
peas, with all the farm yard manure. The
peas are picked and vines turned under for
Wheat I'd year; stubble again in peas, pick
and turn vines under for wheat 3D. year !;
again peas, and turned under for oats 4th
year. Again peas, to be followed 5th year
by rye. This during fall and winter is
paStured by hogs and part Of the time by
sheep, some reserved for seed, but balance
pasturcd until next spring, which completes
rotation, and peas follow again. Besides
the above have secondary rotation Of 10
acres, in two divisions of 20 each, planted
every alternate year in early peas and q
mixed crop of corn, peas, potatoes, chuias,
sorghum, nc, all for hogs. The peas by
themselves as pasture, until September, af.
ter which the mixed crops until fall.
| make all my manure under shelter
work-animals, cattle, hogs and sheep. Ev-
cry branch or bay have cleared and fenced
as permanent pasture. The uplands have
nearly all been cleared Of stumps. have
discarded the one horse, and use none but
full two,horse ploughs ; turn stubble over
broad cast, and manure broadcast and fol
low right after with pea planter. Peas
get only one working,
plant no cotton, because [ cant sell it
for any more than it costs to make it; besides
it requires too much labor, and intcrfercs
with all other interests.
plant no corn, because I can make
many mole bushels of oats to the acre, and
for every bushcl Of oats, | can get bushcl
of corn in barter; and the peas after the
oats make in seed and vines more than
double what the land would produce in corn
Clover and grasses have not yet tried,
but peas | think answers all purposes.
have at last finished the organization in the
few years that | have been at it, but can
assure you that it has been considerable
job. have any quantity of forage in straw
and chaff; of pasture for hogs, sheep and
work animals and have wool for sale in
May wheat in June; peas ali the time ;
"''" '''"' '''' i'ii "h'ii Spii mugs Hlikc
into sugar cured hams and break fast bacon
and have mutton all the year.
Sheep commenced a year ago with
about 600 common sheep and - thorough
bred Mcrino ewes and 3 Mcrino rams-
Some of the common sheep died, but bal
ancc of ewes all got with laab by the 3
Merino rams, which managed by system
Of tcascrs.
y great deal has to be done vet don ,
sec why farmers in the South should not do
as well or better than any in the Middle or
New England States. That climate has
nothing to do with it, we can simply refer
to italy, Spain and similar Southern coun-
tries, which, for want Of rain, are not as
iavorabIy situated, where people still pay
rent and interest on land distant from the
cities, worth two and three hundred dollars
an acre.
did not write this for publication, but
merely desired to tell you as public writer,
what is going on in this otherwise so much
depressed State Of South Carolina G..
Samuel Stickney, Of Iowa, claspcd his
best girl in an embrace so close that his re-
volYcr was discharged and boy standing
near was seriously wounded. The lesson Of
this sad occurrence is, that boys shouldn't
stand around at such times.