The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1880-07-30
AGRICULTURE IN THE pIEDnoNr REGION

AGRlCULTURE IN THE PIEDRONr REGION.
PIEDMONT, S. c., July 10, 1880.
Editor Register The protracted drought
is affecting seriously the corn crop of this
region. The small grain crop was short
but the hay crop pretty good.
The farmers iu this belt do not seem to
realize the valae of an oat crop; they say
that they have tried the red oat unsuccess.
fully, but we are inclined to the opinion
that the failure was owing to the "modus
operandi," rather than the variety. 1t has
been always so much the custom to plant
oats as a mere makeshift, Oh the poorest
land often, and in the carelesscst way, that
no value has been attached to the product
"What is worth doing is worth doing WE'LL"
is as applicable to oat culture as to any
other crop No man should expect to '.get
blood out of turnip." If you want to
make oats, select the soil best adapted to
the plant-don't be afraid of its being too
rich-and put it in" carefully and early
enough to stand the Winter. If it grows
too rapidly it is very easy matter to Craze
it down with small animals. There is a
great saving of labor ia growing oats; it is
also valuable supplement to the corn crib
Corn is a costly and exhaustive product
And it should also be borne in mind that
all crops which grow during the Winter
protect the land from washing away, and
hold in reserve, fer future crops, the soluble
and valuable salts which are leached out by
the Winter rains.
The pea crop does not receive a tithe of
the care it deserves. Independent Of its
value as food crop, which can be grown
with very little labor, it can be made to
play very important role as fertilizer
The experiments carried on for years by
DR.. Ravcnel and others have demonstrated
the fact that the pea is invaluable as fer.
tilizer.
Mr.. Edmund Ruffin, in his Agricultural
Survey, pronounced the pea the clover of
the South, aud, when he returned to Vir-
ginia, began series of experiments with it,
which have been successfully conducted
by his son since his fathers death. The
objection which has, under the old regime,
been urged against the pea Qhc difficulty
of turning under heavy pea fallow) has
been removed by the proof that che pea
vine, when allowed to mature, and to be
chilled even by frost, loses none of its vir-
tues as a fertilizer The dead vine contains
all the salts locked up for future use, the
water only has been lost. No farmer should
cultivate crop of corn without peas. If
he is afraid that the peas will injure the
corn then let him SOW at the last ploughing,
aud if his land is rich enough to make corn
he will have a luxuriant coat of pea.vines
to tarn under as fertilizer. AS an ameli-
orator of the soil for any crop, or a fertili-
zer for wheat or oats, there is nothing which
can be compared to the pea vine for cheap.
ness.
Ante Bczhum," this region of country
was well supplied with domestic animals.
The cattle ''grazod upon thousand hills"
in the Summer, the mountain sides being COW
cred with wild pca-vine and native grasses
Every farmer had small herd which he
drove to the mountains for Summer grazing
"a few mares and colts. Corn and grass
enough was grown in the valleys to Winter
th,m; all Of which went on foot to market.
The war has left its dcsolating track even
here. There are few cattle, horses, sheep
or hogs but cotton, by the help of artificial
fertilizers, has crcpt up to the very base OF
the mountains, and farmers buy their bacon,
nour, anu souicIihieS their corn, lrcm the
West.
All along the Air Line, even North OF
it, in Oconec, Pickens, and over in Georgia,
in White, Uabcrsham, Hall, Franklin,
where ante JcUun. cotton was never thought
Of, you will now see it growing luxuriantly
The best samples of cotton are said to come
from this belt-siLply because it is pet
is grown by white laborers, carefully
worked and handled, The fact is demon
strable that the largest proportion Of the
belt is grown by white labor: and the same
may be also said of Texas. With proper
culture, and implements adapted to the
South, the white man may soon be indcpcnd-
ont of Sambo SO far as cotton is concerned.
-~VOX IN C"'nmLin Register