The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1879-08-01
For the Times.
Good Rains---Present System Of Farming.
GOUDEysysIIr Julv o7tb 1870

uooo nains---Fresent system OF Farming.
GoUDEYsvILLr, July 9th, 1879.
Mr.. EDITOR :-On Friday last we were blessed
with an excellent rain in this community and
think it was n general rain throughout the up
per portion Of the county. 1t has been shower.
cry since, therefore real fine growing weather.
But Te fear it. has come too late for upland corn,
IS some is too far spent tofeviye. however great
o quantity Of rain may come. There are plenty
OF acres in this neighborhood that will not make,
we venture to say, bushel to the acre, conse-
quentiy, 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 il
will throw off all except grown bolls, and there
fore make the crop short.
II the farmers Of this country do not adopt
better system Of planting and working their
crops they may expect to need rain every sum-
mer, and may also expect al,oays 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 so2 Simply because
we do not try to get out Of the old rut that our
forefathers trod in q hundred years ago Tho
country was fresh then and would yield rood
crops with ordinary cultivation, but it Is worn
out and we will have to adopt n new system en-
tirely, or go to some other seaport town where
we can get fresh land but if we stay i'm the old
rut much longer we will not be able to get there.
Let me give you IN idea Of how VIC prepare our
land for cotton;
First, we takoa very large old fashioned twistcr
plow and throw two burrows, with the wing side,
together, leaving ridge underneath about ten
inches wide. This we call ridging or foppinp.
We then 60 after the "best 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 we are ready to give some merchant
Lien (thnt is the right name, for we always get
the lean side) on that crop which We are making
'"oh e"oef"iPrpdrdfion to plant. The first thing
we buy is straight shovel plow-one that will
60 at least three inches deep in the ground, for
wo believe in deep plowing-then with it we spill.
out the little ridge which the old stalk stands
Now we are ready to put in tho best Guano,
which we do with anything we get our hands
on and the first thing, generally, is an alder
stick, with the p.th pushed out, and an old
gourd for o funnel. Some of us like the stick
better than the "West Distributor" ms we can
use it better in windy weather in fact we don't
like any Of those new tangled machines. Now
the old twister is put back and we 90 through
tho same Topping process, and thus, you see,
we arc ready to plant, having our lands weN
pTepdred-in o horn. Now, how will il be at the
end of the year? The answer is simple: We
will make about enough to pay the Guano and
Lien Bills, lacking about ten dollars, for it vii,
never come outeven Thus We go on. and wind
up our aftairs finally at SheriG's sale. We hope
this state Of things will soon cease and that we
will strive to make the profession If farming q
noble one, in deed and in truth. We have SO
many ideas of farming on the brain that we
came near forgetting to inquire about ouI little
jeems. What has become Of him ! Please ask
him TO give us his ideas on farming.
BIG IKE.