The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1881-08-24
ADVICE TO THE n
How They a In a Measure Retrieve
What They Have Lost by the
Drought.
fGi'eenuille NeUs.1

l0feeHUttte NCU5.J
The subject Of the short crops, the re-
suit of the rulnous seasons of this year,
is the chief topic at present with men OF
practical observation, and what arc we
going to do about it," Is the natural re.
Election. There IL no doubt in the mind
of any one at this time that the cotton and
corn crops will be short, very short. A
prominent merchant of this city, whose
judgment Is based upon extensive expe-
rience and years Of close observation,
said yesterday, that there will not be
more than a half crop of cotton made in
Greenville county this year, and that the
corn will fall far short Of ar average crop.
The reporter expressed the hope that this
foreboding was hardly warranted, as
farmers, as a rule, are very prone to look
at the dark side of the picture, and there
fore apt 70 be more respondent than facts
will justify.
mo" replied the merchant lyon will
1nd that an estimate of two-thirds OF q
crop will prove to be extremely high fig
ures. at any rate. By the time farmers
have paid for their fertilizers. they will
have little or no money to spend In the
purchase of the necessaries Of life. Next
year will be the hardest year they have
seen in e. long time; in fact a great many
farmers will not be able to pay out 81
debt for this summers supplies. You
will remember that the oat and wheat
crops were failures this year. These are
important crops. and their failures Is
serious set back to farmers. Now with q
half r of cotton and a short crop Of
corn, they will have the toughest kind OF
a time to pull through next summer:
What they are going to do Is a question Oh
serious moment"
In order to get both sides Of the qnes-
ton the reporter approached a prominent
citizen whose long experience as O farmer
gives his opinions on the subject great
weight.
He told the reporter that next year
would be a much harder n with farmers
than lS46-the year succeeding the IA
NOUS "dry year. Of l845. Not that the
results Of The drought are worse this year.
but in those DAYS people had creditif they
didn't have the cash, while 1t Is otherwise
now, and besides that celebrated "Was
preceded by the most bountiful when,
crop that this section Of country has ever
grown. In comparison with the enor'
nous wheat production Of that year oul
informant pointed to the fact that wheat
and oat crops were failues this year.
"What are the farmers to do about it
CQulTe( 1cl1 LilclJ " PlaiG 'reoy Aso
barley and turnips. Tell them to begir
to plant oats right now, and let every foo
Of open land be planted in something tina
will make something to eat and feed stock
on. Let every one who has a fence cor
ner' plant it in turnips. If the people
will turn their attention at once to plant
ing wheat, oats, rye, barley and turnips
they will find that these crops will hell
them along greatly. In fact this is theiI
only salvation and unless they pursu.
this plan, and plant largely in alt ,hes'
crops, they will zee the hardest kind o
times beginning about the time younl
persimmons appear on the trees. 1SS'
will be an awfully hard year on farmer
and you may mark it. Tell them to sov
oats plentifully---now is the time to begi,
Iii they want to know what's best TO
them"