The Orangeburg democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1879-1881, 1879-08-15
The Peavine Again.
Editor Orange6urg Democrat:

OF seeing DelleVe not, now Others
make fine crops, and yet some Of us,
still seem blindly to plod along in the
same old rut, fearing mishap or
some sudden jolt if we attempt to
break 9way from it. For year having
witnessed the beneficial effects Of
heavy crop Of pcavines OH the sue
cceding crop, and in the rccupcration
of worn soil wherever they were acci-
dentaily allowed TO rot upon the
ground and not pulled up Or totally
fed away, and more recently having
observed the beautiful result where
they were sown and turned in the
past winter, in the more vigorous
growth of cotton this year, l have
ventured to drop you this hasty pa
per hoping 1t may catch the eye OF
some lazily hesitating or still doubt
ing Judas and stimulate him to put
into practice, what others have tried
and do heartily recommend, and un-
hcsitatingly say, their crops are
greatly improved and their lands are
left in much finer condition for sue
cceding crops. Though almost too
late now TO derive tic full benefit
Of the plan usually adopted, it is not
too late for some timn TO get :, decid-
cd improvement in The next crop.
II is scarcely necessary after SO much
has been already said and written
about 1t, to repeat the the process
practiced by those that have met
with success some may not know it
and l write it. IL is simply this
Lay Off the land in equi-dislant rows
so that one and Il half or two bushels
of peas per acre can be sown evenly
broad cast and well ploughcd undcr,
(the later the season the greater guam
tity Of peas should be sown,) and
about the middle Of October when TIC
weather has grown cool, SOW upon the
same land one or more bushels OF
oats per acre, and turn all under nice
ly together. If there are any ripe
peas on tho vincs-and there will be
if planted in time--thcy remain in
the ground the winter through and
come up the next spring and when
oats are cut, which will no doubt be
improved 100 per cent. over the past
crop, they 60 vigorously TO growing
to cover the ground again with hoth
vines and peas to make the farmers
heart jump with Joy at the prospect
ahead Of him for the next crop.
Now, now, whenever it is, is the ac-
ceptcd time, go light at it, or you
will lose the opportunity TO increase
your crops and improve your lands,
and the joyous emotions coming from
such u condition of things. ~
There can be no doubt that the
plan suggested is the simplest, surcst
and cheapest Of all that can be pracl-
cally carried out. Whilst We have
knc wn for years how fine crop of
pea vines benefited the land yet we
hcsitatcd TO use them in this way be-
cause it looked like making and Civ
ing away one fine crop to make an
other, not estimating the great good
the land received FROM them, besides
the increased crop they caused 10 be
made. But upon practice, We find
this is not so, as VIC are simply Civ
ing the succeeding crop Il better ma
nuring than we could do in any other
way, and most Of our lands should be
well manured any how. That great
old patriot and farmer, Edmund Ruff
fin, Of Virginia, said years ago, that
the pea constituted the great remedy
for Southern agricultural exhaustion,
and that where tho soil was totally
exhausted Of potash, phosphcric acid
and chlorine, that peas alone or cycn
combined with lime could not restore
these elements to the soil. Forum
atcly such is rarely SO in our soils
in which case resort should be had to
o'her means, such as bone dust and
gypsum, stable manure and guano;
either will help the pea amazingly in
providing more luxuriant vine which
is sure to eliminate from u lateral
state enough Of these elements to en-
rich the land. If lands ever made
food crops they surely can be made
to Go So again, simply by the plan
here sugg ested, for it is bu, science re-
f<, ,>,so nj if,.