The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1879-08-01
For the Times.
For the Times.
Good Rains---Present System of Farming.


Good Rains---Present System Of Farming.
GoupEYsvILLr, July 9th, 1879.
Mn. EDITOR On Friday last we were blessed
with an excellent rain in this community and
think it was general rain throughout the up
per portion of the county. 1t has been shower
cry since, therefore real fine growing weather.
But We fear it has come too late for upland corn,
as some is too far Spent to feviye, however great
u quantity of rain may come. There are plenty
of acres in this ncighborhood that will not make,
we venture to say, bushcl to the acre, conse-
qucntly, there will be plenty of corn buyers
next year. 1t is hard to tell just now what the
cotton crop will do. The weed is small but very
full but with continued wet spell, we fear it
will throw off all except grown bolls, and there
fore make the crop short.
If the farmers of this country do not adopt n
better system of planting and working their
crops they may expect to need rain every sum
mer, and may also expect alvdys to make short
crops Ours is certainly scientific and noble
calling and, expect the worst abused profess
sion known to man, especially in this part Of
the country. And why is it so? Simply because
we do not try to get out of the old rut that our
forefathers trod in hundred years ago. The
crops with ordinary cultivation but nc W it is worn
out ana we Will have to adopt n new system en-
t'rey, or go to some other seaport town where
we can get fresh land but if we stay in the old
rut much longer we will not be able to get there
Let me give you idea of how we prepare our
land for cotton:
First, we takca very large old fashioned twistcr
piow and throw two burrows, with the wing side
together, leaving ridge underneath about ten
inches wide. This we call ridging or Topping
We then go after the "bcst Guano in the market
and store it away in some good dry place, for it
loses its strength, they say, if it gets wet. About
that time W" are ready to give some merchant n
Lien (that is the right name, for we always get
the team side) or that crop which VIC arc making
s"0h e"~cf"ePr1Par"rion to plant. The first thing
we buy is straight shovel plow-one that will
so at least three inches deep in the ground, for
VIC believe in deep plowing-then with it we split
out the little ridge on which the oil stalk stands
Now we are ready to put in the best Gunno
which we do with anything we get our hands
on and the first thing, generally, is an alder
SICK, with the pth pushed out, and an old
gourd for funnel. Some of us like the stick
better than the "West Distributor rs we can
use it better in windy weather in fact we don't
like any of those new tangled machines Now
the old twiscr is put back and we go through
the same Hopping process, and thus, you see,
we arc ready to plant having our lands meU
PTcPared-in horn Now, how will it be ut the
end OF the year? The answer is simple: We
VIII make about enough to pay the Guano and
Lien Bills, lacking about ten dollars for it vii,
never come out even. Thus we go on, and wind
up our affairs finally at Sheriff sale We hope
this state of things will soon cease and that wo
will strive to make the profession # farming n
noble one, in deed and in truth. We have 80
many ideas Of farming on the brain that we
came near forgetting to inquire about ouI little
Jecms. What has become Of him? Please ask
him to give us his ideas on farming.
BIG IKE