The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1878-07-25
To Restore Lands Deprecl
ated by Cotton.

An editor was travelling With a
Young companion. III 4 private con.
v~eylnce. through the country, and
seeing the fine plantations that were
formerly AZ rich aud productive
Is we could desire, but nov worn
and quilted from hi top to valley
by constant cotton culture. asked
:. What is to become OF 7 country
and its inhabitants :: The young
man answered and said, Bermu-
da grass and Sleeps hoofs Will res
rolc it 10 its former value, and ITS
owners make more money than
those who have worn It out by
cotton culture. Diversity Of
farming is our only hope; stock
raising, sheep husbandry, and q
cultivation of grasses, and sowing
grain is the only wise policy. 1t
Will blossom like the rose, pourlnto
the | Us Of It's owners teem.ng rich
es. and render them independent
of the North and West for all that
now supplies their wants. In tact
the country Is now too poor even
to produce cotton TO buy supplies
at the present low price; and, even
if it was worth 30 cents per pound,
it would be bad policy to grow 1t
exclusively. as the lands become
poor and less productive every year,
and we would ultimately have to
abandon them and 90 West to seek
& green fields and pastures new
where the soil IS more productive
We must change system OF
farming. Bermuda grass Will
flourish in this latitude, and even
stop comparatively large gullles III
a wear or so. Stock OF all kinds
prefer it to any other grass and 1t
is first III the Spring to put out and
the last in tie Winter TO die and,
when partially protected by pines,
remains green all Winter, atfording
fine grazing for cattle and sheep.
If any one has his plantation well
set. in Bnrmuda grass, then he Is
well prepared to make money, and
can restore his lands to original
fertility, and can make more money
than if he planted four times the
area in cotton. For the farmer the
raising Of sheep is one Of the most
profitable enterprises. No animal
except the goat will live and thrive
with 50 little are and attention.
Thev are at the same time the best
fertilizers and good farm scaven-
gers, as they feed upon many plants
that are great pests and hard to
destroy, except by their browsing.
Poor land will furnish good pas
lures for sheep, and will improve so
rapidly that it may be brought INTO
4 high state of cultivation IN Il few
years. The fleece, under the most
unfavorable conditions, will more
than pay for the cost and are Of
raising the sheep. And where al
YOU find anything better to the
palate than a nice fat lamb, either
fried. roasted, boiled, or baked,
while scientists have demonstrated
that no other flesh is equal to it, or
SO wholesome. for either Young or
old. sick or well. But the selling
of their carcasses should be Il secon-
diary consideration, although it may
pay handsomely IN spring and fall.
The best animals should be select
ed, those Of hardy, compact frames
and fine wool, and then, by judi
cious crossing with a spanish merl-
no buck. Your flock Will soon be all
that you can desire. The dog is a
great enemy OF the sheep raiser, and
nothing but a dog law can remedy
the evil: and one should have been
enacted ten Years ago, but it IS never
too late to DO good. From two to
four hundred acres III Bermuda
GRASS Will Craze five hundred head
Of sheep. or three hundred head
Of sheep. and one hundred head of
cattle. ANY one, who can com
mence with this number of acres in
Bermuda. can become independent
in one year. The plan is this, have
Il I'VE OF ten acre lOI lcllctQ IN IOf
folding the sheep on every night.
and very soon they will come up
regularly to be pcnned. In IL fort
night the lot will be rich with the
deposits Of their manure. Then
break up we'll and keep the lot in
good condition by keeping it well
plowed. Change your sheep to an
other lot Of five TO ten acres, OF
YOU may have, if preferred, "a TWEEN
tv acre lot under one fence: and
fold your sheep on this area longer,
until every foot of it is thoroughly
MANFRED. And. in fall.
with superphosphate. and SOW in
turnips, and it will produce enough
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