The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1885-09-23
Marlboro the Banner County.
(From Union Times.J

Having been solicited to give an
account Of my trip to Dennettsvilie,
i fee! It my duty to do SO, but have
misgivings as to my ability to sue
cced in giving n correct statement,
and ut the same time prove in
structivc and interesting to those
of your readers who are interested
in agriculture.
L will undertake. however, Il short
account of my trip to Marlboro, the
banner county of South Carolina,
in an agricultural point Of view.
On my way | saw many fine crops
of both cotton and corn, also some
very inferior ones, showing the
want of proper culture. L was in
formed by those who knew, that,
as a general thing, these inferior
crops belonged to negro tenants.
l had the pleasure, through the
Kindness of my host, (Mr. j. Fur
man DavidO of visiting Il goodly
number of farms in and around
Beilncttsvillc. 1t was Il grand
sight to behold the extensive and
magnificent fields of corn and cot
ton.
u Nv ttiiNtN U hN'tIlN lSNN1, "ttSl
will not run either way along the
rows, some of them being over one
mile i'm length. The farms look as
neat as can be; every row is as
straight as an arrow no weeds to
be seer along the roads and bitches.
Their cotton rows arc from three
to four feet wide, fourteen to TWEEN
ty-four inches in drill, II stalk to
the hill, and to stand at some dis
lance YOU cannot tell which way
the rows run-the cotton tapping.
| I cannot say what the yield will
be, having never seen such be-
fore. The farmers claim from one
to two bags per acre. I saw no
cluster cotton; it is condemned ;
they prefer the the limbcd va
rieties.
The CONGRATULATIONS six feet
wide, three feet in hill, one stalk.
1t is thought will yield from thirty to
fOrty-five bushels per acre. | saw
no prolific vnrietics-Only from one
to two ears to the stalk. Nearly
all the corn land has three rows of
peas to the corn r0w-ono row on
each side OF cor and one in the
middle of ~row-abOut eighteen
inches between hills, and they look
fine, nearly shading the entire
ground.
All, or nearly all, their stubbic is
sown in peas, and they are now
knee high, very uniform and rcgu-
lar, covering tho entire surface
with mature peas, and arc being
gathered. The most popular pea
Is what they call The Life Pre-
server, which is nothing more nor
less than our old Whip-poOr-will.
One magnificent farm owned by
Mr.. David, fronting the road, is
laid off in sections and labeled,
giving amount and kind Of fertili-
zcrs, and also what grew on the
land the previous year. One sec
ton following pea stubble was far
superior to all the rest, showing
what II great renovntor of the soil
the pea is. And rest assured the
farmers here have found 1t out, and
are making use Of them.
What Il magnificent sight to see
SO many acres in peas. l notice
that they cultivate every other row,
both cotton and corn, alternating;
in other words, they pillow every
other row, then going back and
blowing the other, claiming that
it is best, 1t not breaking all the
rOOtlets at once, consequently not
stunting the growth Of the plants.
Also, by this mode of culture they
go over the crops oftencr, making
it Il rule to go over with pillow every
ten or twelve days. They are
very liberal i'm theuse Of fertilizers,
using from 400 to 500 pounds to the
acre. Some apply all at once,
others ut different times dnringthc
cultivation. Their fuvorite for
mula is, , parts acid phosphate, =
of cotton seed meal and | OF kainit.
They prefer the meal to the crude
seed, claiming, from experience,
that it is best, being more avail
able as plant food.
Our meeting was harmonious,
instructive and edifying. Ben
nettsville, the county scat of MARI
boro, is II beautiful little village.
looks quite stylish, with many neat
residences. The citizens are lib
eral, social, intelligent, progress
siyc, and abound in hospitality.
Your readers will, we hope, over
look any shortcomings.
A. f.. PANT.