Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1879-07-10

Il
pared with tho land seeded in corn and tn,
email grains. On our return from Pickon
Court we expressed the opinion that the hut
planted in eornSin sghs of the road from
Walhalla to piokens, taking out tho low land,
on Kcoweo md Cane Creek, would not yielt
above fow hundred bushels. This trir
covers twenty eight miles. though it ran,
chiefly along q ridge sparsely settled and il
therefore no fair criterion Of tho corn crop
The cotton on this road, especially in Pickens
County, has bcon we'll cultivated and is very
promising. We do not think our neighbors
in Piokons hayo suffered for rain as wo hayo
In travelling from Walballa to rugqloo
lsiver we observed the samo disparity In the
| corn and cotton crop. Nearly all tho uplands,
which had not been secdod in snail gain,
are planted in cotton. and tho
connection, Mr.. Joseph II. Shelor, ono of our
best citizens and most experienced and sue
ccssful farmers, stated to US That bo went to
tho lowor corner of Anderson ip May, and,
in his opinion, moro corn would be mado on
the farm Of his son John than would be grown
in sight Of tho road ho Travelled for distance
Of thirty miles. 1t seemed tho whole country
was planted in cotton II
In q short trip into Franklin and Hart
counties, Georgia. wo observed similar con
diton Of tho farms, and in talk with the
Messrs. Parkers. who have owned large
merchant mill above Knox's Bridge for II
half century, We heard them say that
years back tho rule was to speak Of
whont and corn folds and cotton patches, but
now it was cotton folds and whent and corn
patches.
Even if these estimates be somewhat exag-
gcratcd they are near enough the facts to
show that .hcro must DO radical change in
our farming operations before we can becumc
q wealthy and prosperous people. Cotton
may be tho nearest representative of money
of all other products, but no ono product can
bring wealth, and no people can prosper who
iail to make the farm self-sustaining in all
such crops rs can DO successfully grown on
it, This docs not rest In bare speculation or
opinion, but any one, who will inquire about
tho successful farmers in his noighborhood,
will find that they arc mcn who grow at homo
their own corn, wheat, bacon and o,hor sup.
ports of animal life. The cotton grower may
count his hundreds Of dollars for his Accoy
bales carried to market, but tlcy do not stay
with him. lIc must pass the money through
his hands into the till Of tho merchant, who
has furnished him meat, bread and fertilizers,
leaving generally no surplus in his hands.
The self-sustaining farmer on tho other hand,
eupplics these articles at homo and pockets
tho proceeds of his cotton crop.
Wo leol satisfied tho arca devoted to corn
this year is lcsa than during any previous
year since tho war, and that unloss VIC have
good seasons during July and August,
our bread crop will DO insufficient for home
consumption. Tho wheat and oat crops arc
very fno in overy section We have visited, but
the area seeded was not rs largo as it should
have been.
The best conducted and largest farm we
saw on the river is that of Mr.. John W.
Shelor, who has about two hundred acres in
corn, mostly bottom, ono hundred and thirty
acres in cotton, and has harvested several
hundred bushels Of whont and twolye to ff-
teen hahdred dozen Of oats. IIo has also
fino boodcd cattle, Of the Jersey and Durham
breed, and is farmer in tho full sense of tho
term, having clover and grass pastures, i'm
proved machinery and all tho appliances of q
we'll regulated farmcr.
The farms Of r. W. Shelor and Samuel
llnrbn. Immediately below, arc we'll con,
Quoted and self>sustaining, having large
crops of corn, wheat, oats and rye. as we'll
1,ro -,
river wc saw the farm of Mr. John G. Nevill,
who, few years ago, harvested over ono
hundred bushels Of corn from one acre Of
land. From tho road tho corn and cotton on
this and tho adjoining farms ON botl, sides Of
tho river looked promising and exhibited
thorough cultivation.
The Tugaloo bottoms arc fertile and will
always constitute an important factor in the
bread and meat supply of our county. Tho
uplands arc rich but very broken. Farther
from tho river, in the direction of Wcstmn,
ster, VIC passed through what was once known
as "Nubbih Edgc," but which wo believe
will some day become ono Of tile richest and
most productive sections of our county. Tho
land naturally is poor, but it lies so we'll us
to be capable Of the highest fertility, having
gray surface with clay subsoil In the
production of wheat and cotton, it has for
several years yielded as fine average crops as
any part of the county. Lands hero are
cheap and offer great inducements for invest.
mcnt rs the future of this section will prove.
TIE DROUGHT.
The sections visited by us, both in this
county and tho adjoining counties Of Georgia,
have suffered severely from drought. Wo
also hear tho crops on Keowee and Litllo