Orangeburg times. [volume] (Orangeburg Court House [S.C.]) 1877-1881, 1879-05-16
FRIDAY MORNING. MAY 16, 1879.
Orangeburg Agricultural Society.
Quarterly Mceting-lnteresting Dis
cusSiOns.

On last Saturday May 10th the
members of this Society assembled in
the Fair Building in quarterly session.
The attendance was rather larger
than usual. In consequence Of the
absence Of the President, DR.. w. F.
Barton, Vice President Capt John l..
M.orer took the Chair. The meet
ing opened with short discussion on
the Jute culture, and the Importance
and practicability Of obtaining the
seed, participated in by DR.. j. G.
Holman, Mr.. JAS. Stokes and Mr.. II.
Riggs.
The President then called for re
ports us to the condition and pros
poets of the grain crops, in response to
which verbal statements were mad e
by the following members repre- sent
ing different sections Dr. w. G.
Wolfe, ID Fcrsncr, Inabinet, Bennett,
NJ l. Baldwin, j u Vose, DR.. } G.
Holman, Smoke, Jude Robinson, NJ
Robinson, n n Hayden, w W Cul
lcrs, G w Cutler, l. T. Bcckwith, j j
callcy, w p Hadlcy, Jas Stokes, W
A Muckay, Capt Ed. Fielder, A NJ
Sailey. w Hoffman and II Riggs,
from which it appeared that larger
area than usual Of oats was planted
and that the crops were generally
promising, that wheat us a gener-
al thing was not good and that
smaller area was planted, the general
opinion boing that this crop was too
uncertain to pay. The reports also
showed that oats tnilowi ng or planted
after corn in the cora field was far
better than that planted after cotton in
the cotton field. Various opinions were
expressed as to the manner of manur-
y.isg Tor small grain, especially in refer
eiicS 10 tie ash clement. Some saw
little benefits from it. The turning
under Of pea vines was highly recon-
mcnded.
Mr.. A NJ Salley noticed that oats
sowcd where the pea vines were cut off
were not half as good as in fl elds
where the stock fed them off.
Some little disc usson was held on
the causes Of rust. An opinion was
advan ced that it belonged to the land,
but the majority assigned coil nights
and hot days as the cause.
Inquiries we're made as to the CON
dion of the corn and cotton crops.
The responses showed that the stand
was bad on all the early planting, but
much better on paintings made since
the frost. Reports from St. Matthews
show bad stands.
Mr.. A M Sallcy spoke Of the fat Of
hogs fattened on chutas melting
away, and being less firm than on
corn fed hogs. Mr.. Jas. Stokes ex
pericnce was the same as Mr.. Salley's.
But, in spite of this disadvantage as
well as that OF crows and ground
molca, these gentlemen regarded
chu as as a most valuable crop. and
the whole Society agreed with them.
A discussion then followed on the
sorghum question which in view of
Mr.. Cornelson's proposed Refinery
Was very Interesting.
Mr.. Mackay was very favorable to
the sorghum. He thought it would
pay well, and that the grain pro
: SdHced from it was very valuable for
stock and other purposes. He intend
ed to plant large quantity.
Mr.. j. j. Salley, together with
others, had male Al careful calcula-
ton of the yield and cost of produ-
cling, and OH the basis that land that
produced 1000 lbs. Of cotton would
produce 100 gallons of syrup to the
acre, and putting the syrup as low
down as 80 cents per gallon aud the
cotton at cents, the balance was
clearly and decidedly in favor Of the
sorghum.
DR.. Holman mentioned that the
sorghum was great exhauster of
land, which these g, ntlemcn admit.