The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-09-23
FERTILIZERS AND HOME
MADE MANURES.
Tho "Keowce Courier" imakes soIne
Practical Suggestions, which nrc
Worthy OF consideration.
h6Otoee COhT1cr'.l

lISOSSC SUNf "fs
No one can doubt but our people spend too
much of their crops on fertilizers. They tax
their income so heavily that but little profit
is left for their labor. Compost made Of lime
is calculated to develop the highest produc-
tive power OF the soil Of our county. We
have q cold, damp, fertile supcrticcs with II
com pact c!nyey subsoil, being u soil susccpti.
BILE Of the highest degree of productivencss in
the grasses and cereals. We only need some.
thing 10 warm up the soil and stimulate the
growth Of the plant In the spring. Fertilizers
may effect this object, extracting from the
soil lis highest yield, but without giving any
thing material In return. Lime Will not only
effect the same thing, but will give new vital
ity to the land, which. tor Il period of twelve
to fifteen years, continues unGbated IN vlgor.
This Is the difference, one Is annual, the other
Is almost perennial In its effect.
We believe farther, that lime Is preferable
In Its power to render the plant capable OF
resisting the influence of drought or flood.
Why then are not the rich veins of limo
Astounding In our county opened up and this
cussion In Agricultural Societies will not az
complIsh this, though In its place 1t may do
good. The use of fertilizers will not accom-
and attracts many to their ruin. In vain will
science light up the pathway to prosperous
agriculture, unless our people possess the Will
and energy 10 pursue and develop. its teach
lngs. We ship from distant islands, ut heavy
expense. fertilizers far inferior In value and
durability to that Astounding III our "
county. Tho consequence Is our soil Is OK.
hausied and our profits swallowed up in the
annual demand for these stimulants. The
policy Is suicidal and very much resembles
that Of borrwing capital at rulnous rate In.
stead OF creating 1t. The profits IN both in
stances go from the State without leaving any
benefit IN return. II we use lime the benefit
is lasting. The price paid for the article Is
kept In tho county and the general prosper.
ity Is promoted. Many OF our people say
wheat cannot be grown proftably here be-
cause the crop Is too uncertain. Lime Is the
remedy for this. Wherever lime has been
used, the crop Of wheat, oats ami other grnlns
have been greatly Increased. We saw q piece
of low land a few years ago on the place now
owned by Mr.. COnlcy, which Captain y. Rob.
ms Informed us had been lined by Mr.. Brea.
zeale about twenty years before, and 1t was
easy to tell to the very row to which the lime
had extended. There are n number of good
veins of lime in the WhetStonS section of our
county, and parties there have, m two or
three occasions, begun to burn 1t. Only n few
weeks ago we bought OF Mr.. Roach ut .
cents n bushel and he sold us several barrels
OF as good lime as can be bought anywhere.
We believe they have stopped burning, hut
hope some one will again Start the business.
With lime Mt twenty-five cents n farmer ran
buy fifty bushels for about what three sacks
of guano would cost. With fifty bushels OF
lime mixed with leaves, muck, &c, u great
deal OF manure could be made, and tho land,
so enriched, would last many years. Let our
farmers convenient to lime try 1t Il few years,
and we think they would find 1t u paying iu'
ycStnent,