Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-05-06
suPERINTENpENT's REPoRT.

BETHESDA. April 20, 1901
Col. j. H. EstiI. President Union Sycietg:
DEAR SRI herewith submit my annual re-
port on the condition of Bethesda. / planted
last year fourteen acres in oats in the field
southwest of the new buildings, which yielded
eighteen two-horse wagon loads in the sheaf,
making about one hundred and twenty bushels.
After harvesting the oats, / turned the stubble
under the soil with one-horse ploughs and
planted ten acres of the field in COW peas and
four acres In sweet potatoes. When the pea vines
were fully matured. had them turned under
the soil with the double plough as fertilizer. /
dug and banked sixty bushels Of the pota-
toes and lett the rest to fatten the hogs, of
which had quite a number. have this field
planted in cats again this year. which was not
planted until the 18th of January, as had to
let the hogs remain in the field TO get the bene-
fit Of the potatoes left in the ground Consid-
ering the severe winter we have had, think
they are looking very well, and will produce
fair crop planted last year in the "Binah"
field ten acres in corn and harvested fifty
bushels. made four paintings before sue
ceeded in getting stand, and pnen IL was
very late in the season. About this time
the drouth came on, and, might say,
DESTROYED all except in the lowest ground.
so that not more than half OF the field produc-
ed any corn. This field had no fencing along
the water front, and the hogS got IN the naoit
of swimming around at every high tide, and in
this way destroyed good deal OF corn. Since
then have been obliged to enclose the whole
field, which was done at cost OF about sixty
five dollars. also planted peas in this heId
and ploughed them into the soil as manure. l
have the field planted this year in oats, and
although they were considerably damaged by
the cold in January. they are looking well ana
promise very good yield.
/ planted the little field OF three and a half
acres, south of the buildings, in sweet potatoes,
which yielded three hundred and sixty
bushels Of good eating potatoes. have hauled
marsh mud and leaf mould on the poorest part
of this field and ploughed it into the SOIL and in
addition 10 this have had il laid off in trenches
three feet apart, and these trenches filed with
decayed leaves. etc, from the woods, and then
sprinkled over with lime and guano and bedded
over for the purpose of planting in sweet po-
tatoes again this year. l have also spread
marsh mud and leaf mold from the woods on
the poorest parts of the four and one-half acre
field north OF the new buildings, and. In addi-
ton, have hauled three hundred and odd cart
loads of compost from the COW lot and plough
ed it into the soil. This field have planted in
Irish potatoes mutton corn, onions, beets,
green peas. okre, turnips and beans, all of
which were looking well, but the late
frosts have completely destroyed all the corn
and beans and injured all the rest.
have planted over, and with good seasons
will have an abundance OF vegetables most of
the wear. I also have 1lk acres west of the
new buildings well fertilized and planted in
cabbages, tomatoes and beets. The cabbages
have not done well, and are going TO seed in
consequence Of the severe winter. We are
using them as fast as possible and planting out
others for later crop.
A few of the fig and pear trees have died, but
have been replaced by others, kindly furnished
by Major A. L. Hartridge. have set out IL
Japanese plums, 56 pears, and 10 common
The thickets on the west Of the ~ acre field
and the one east OF the 81 acre field have cut
out, as found they injured all growing crops.
put up a good. substantial house instead
The old well, which we used for
cooking purposes, became unfit for the
purpose. Besides being some distance from