The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1882-07-27
SUCCESS IN FARMING.
Importance OF Rotation, and Glover and
Grass Crops.

The necessary steps toward an improv-
cd husbaEdry are
l. TO cultivate less land
=. To make that which is cultivated
rich in plant food, SO that it may produce
large crops.
3. The practic of u rigid system Of ro-
tation of crops and mixed farming.
i. The cultivation Of the gasscs and
less of the cereals, and the feeding upon
the farm the most of its products.
5. Raising clover and enriching the
land by turning under green crops.
! believe that the faithful practice Of
such system Of tilling would in ten
years increase tl!e value of real estate
100 per cent, and place the farming pop.
ulation in an independent position. All
observation and experience go TO show
that those sections Of the country are
more prosperous where mixed System
of farming prevails. The farmer who
finds in his own garncrs that which is
needed to supply his daily wants IL far
removed from the Texation and losses at
ten ant upon outside purchases, which so
severely tax his means. 1t is not fre-
1uently the case, when he produces but
single article for the market. that it
commands price which but poorly com
pensatcs him for his labor while lie has
to pay cxorbitant prices for that which
he is compelled to purchase. That is
Selling the hide for Il penny and buying
back the tail for n shilling" which sure.
iy is not profitable transaction. Mixed
agriculture necessarily leads to q system
of rotation Of crops, which is the key to
successful farming. That there is vast
. ,,.l,n
succession of different crops arc grown.
experience. Thousands of those %ho
single production, such rs cotton, tobacco
or grain, now acknowledge this error.
Successive crops Of the same character
exhaust lands Of the peculiar food they
require with great rapi,lity. The aid
which Nature so freely renders, where
crops rotate is withheld in such system
Of cultivation, because the farmer is vo-
!c.;ng her lava. TO fight against Nature
is - war ut fearful odds, and it is not
difficult to forecast the result. To work
in harmony with her insurcs n compare
lively easy victory. One Of the most
beautiful Of her provisions il, that while
one crop exhausts the soil of that element
which enters most largely into its COM
position, by the operation of some mys
tcrious law, it.prcparcs that same soil for
some other crop Of different character
This is very curious and interesting
process Of Nature. which results immense
ly 10 our advantage ii we accept her
MD. AS nh illustration Of this principle,
we know that clover does not successfully
follow itself, although it leaves the
ground in the best possible condition for
corn or wheat. One crop, therefore, re.
stores in measure what another has
taken. BY raising continuously the same
plant you interfere with this beautiful
contrivance of Nature to rebuild her
wasted strength. How this is done is
impcrfeclly understood. We do know,
however, that the decp.rooted plants like
clover will pump from the depths below
for the use Of those that grow near the
surface thnt food which has been carried
beyond their reach And not only that
this element when brought to the face,
acts chemically upon what it finds there
but renders soluble and available rs plant
food what before was inert and resisted
assimilation.
Nature, therefore, will do much of our
work for us if VIC only second her efforts
and give full scope to her beneficial laws.
1t IL, therefore, question Tor the farmer
TO determine whether lie will by rota-
ton of crops, hnvo his soil enriched by
drafts on Natures treasury or draw en-
tirely upon his own. do not mean to
argue that there is nothing for the farmer
to do but follow this rotation to make his
lands productive. Far from it. But do
argue that he may make Nature a CO.
worker with him in attaining n desirable
end. Change is prominent feature in
Natures economy. Cut down the forest
Of hard wood and the pines succeed.
Again; remove the pine aud the hard
wood reappcars. One kind Of grass sue
ceeds another, and Nature supplies the
seed. These changes give the soil rest,
to the end TINT the process of reinvigora-
ern Industries.