Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1880-01-22
Correspondence of the Charleston News
and Courier
HDon't Go West, YoWsag MAN.
THERE Is MORE MONEY TO BE MADE IN
SoUTu CAROLINA.

PENDLEToN, ANDERSON County, Janu.
ary 5.--At meeting of Pcnalcton Grange,
held December 27, 1878, report, which
explains itself, was submitted by com.
mitteo appointed some mouths previous.
The results exhibited in the report were
considered Of so much importance as to iu-
ducc the Grange to adopt resolution to
request the publication of the report in the
Ncws and Courier.
herewith send you the report condensed
with the request Of the Grange that you
publish it in such mauncr as will best
advance the interests Of South Carolina.
We trust that the facts and results cx-
hibitcd 10 the report will meet the eyes of
those who are ready to desert the homes of
their youth to seek prccarious and uncer
tain living in far distant lands, and will
help them to realize tho fact that mountains
arc only beautifully bluc when bchcld from
distance. Respectfully,
W. Nj. Pcndletou Grange.
To the ". A and Mcmbcrs Of Ieadlctoa
Grange:
The committee appointed somc months
| ago to visit the farms of the members, aud
| by direct inquiry ascertain the average
number Of acres in the farm, tho kind of
crops usually raised, their relative value and
protitablcncss, &C., submit the following
| report:
| We only visited some fifteen farms, tax.
! ing them as We came to them; had wc had
the time VIC would have visited the farms of
| each one of the member but from our
general knowledge of the farms not visited
we are satisfied they would have sustained
the general results arrived at.
In arriving at the results hereinafter set
| forth VIC, in every case, averaged the indi-
viduai results for period Of five years, aud
from these individual results we struck q
general average of all tho farms visited
| We find tho average number of acres TO the
farm to be $50, $50 acres being in cultiva-
ton, leaving $50 acres to tho farm untitled
unrcmuncrativc and dead, so far as profits
arc concerned. What bank, with two
thirds of its capital locked up in its vaults
unused, would ever declare dividend?
As wo have our living out of the lands we
now cultivate, the proceeds of untitled,
lands were they in cultivation also, would
be a clear profit. Let US, then, cease 10
cry hard times, and devote ourselves
patiently to the effort to solve the problem
of how VIC can best bring these lands under
cultivation ourselves, or cause them to be
cultivated 1t is true our situation for the
pnst twelve or fifteen years has prevented
us from doing many things that we knew
ought to have been dore, but the time has
come when we cannot be much longer
excused for such gross mismanagcment.
There is no general rule in renting lands.
Some land owners receive onc-third of all
the crops raised, others receive one-third
of some Of the crops and one fourth Of the
Others. 1t is generally conceded thar il 10
more profitable to hire hands for wages than
to rent Wages average 50 per month,
with rations, for number one hands.
There is a great diversity of opinion as to
fertilizers some prefer one kind, some
another. All are agreed, however, that
the quality of the fertilizers has dcterioratcd
and many Of the best farmers say that,
after carefully calculating results, they arc
compelled in manner to abandon the use
of them aud adopt somo other substitute.
Barley, rice, sorghum, tobacco aud hay
are cultivated proftably, but only to a
limited extent Potatoes and turpips
are raised by all, but only for home con
sumption.
Peaches, pears, plums, apples and grapes
arc abundantly raised, but only for home
use.
The principal crops raised arc corn,
wheat, oats and cotton, and of these wo
submit the following results obtaincd
largest average crop per acac- Wheat,
105 bushels; oats, 81 bushels; corn on bot.
toms, 80 bushels; corn, upland, 30 bushels;
cotton, 1,7G0 pounds seed,
Average crop for five yoars-Wheat, %
bushels; oats, 10 bushels; corn on bottoms,
81 bushels; corn, uplands, ii bushels; cot
ton 807 pounds
Average profits per acrc--Whcat, $500;
oats, $3.50; corn on bottoms, $3.50; corn;
upland, s7.07; cotton, $l225.
Taking tho United States Agricultural
report as our guide, which will bo accepted
by all fair minded men as tho best known
source from which to obtain data to make
an approximate estimate Of the yield of the
States, we submit come comparative results
with Texas and Arkansas.
WHEAT.
Average Average Amount
bushels price per acre.
per acre. per bushcl.
Texas, f3 81 O8 Sl4 Oh
Arkansas, II SO u Cd
With us, 90 66 l6 O5
Texas, 81 5S Sl7 90