Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1885-09-24
Report of the Delegates from the
Edgeiield Agricultural Society
to the Joint Summer Meet
ing at Bennettsyille, Au-
gust ST., 1885.

nettsyille is the county-seat, is one of
the smallest Counties in the State,
with only 500 square miles, and lies
in the same latitude as Anderson.
Tne Pee Dee River bounds it on the
West; and It's bottoms, several miles
in width, in places, are very fine. But
these river plantations are neglected,
and the lands are cheap because of
sickness. They are almost all rented
to negroes, and are, with slight ex.
captions, the only lands in the Coun-
ty that are thus worked. The share
system has been abandoned as inn
practicable" and nearly all the land
in the County is worked for standing
wages The wages run from SIS to
$l2 per month, with rations, for men.
Women are hired by the day, ard
most Of the cotton is picked by the
hundred. From what we saw around
Bennettsville, and along the road to
Cheraw, l6~ milea, we should. judge
that three. fifths Of the area under
cultivation is in cotton, and the re.
meining two-6fths in corn and oats,
about equally divided. The corn on
upland would average about 20 bush
els per acre, but much Of it, as far as
we could judge by appearances, would
yield 30 bushels. We saw no cat
stubble. Evay acre Of 1t had 6ccm
SOMA broadcast IN peas; and we were
told this practice is almost universal
throughout the County. These peas
are allowed to stand till after frost,
if the, land is to be sown in grain
again, and until after Christmas, if it
is to go in corn or cotton. Expert
ence has shown the farmers of that
county that turning them under green
is not the best way.
Where any rotation is practic'd
the one usually followed is to let corn
and peas follow cotton; oats follow
the corn; and then follow the oats
with peas sown brnadcastto be turned
under.
We saw no land at rest or in weeds.
When they wish to bring up piece
of land rapidly, they sow it in grain,
and then in peas, several years in
succession, manuring both crops.
The land is very level, a fine gray
sandy soil, underlsid at FIVE or six
inches by stiff red or purple clay
and one could easily imagine himself
trayersing our own beautiful Ridge"
There had then been no drought, and
everything showed to the best ad.
vantage. But what contrast We
rode from Leesville. to Trenton in the
bright morning air, when everything
always looks its best, and, with the
exception of pet patch" now and
then, the crops looked like the rent.
ers' cotton in Marlboro; ard Capt.
Pink West, who was with us, could
point out nothing around Leesville
which he was proud of, but the new
college edifce, built of concrete. The
cotton was very insignificant indeed
all along tie Ridge, in comparison
with what we had been seeing in the
Pee Dee country; though we are
bound to say we cannot see that the
land over there is any better, natu
rally, than the Ridge land. The farm
ing is better; the labor system is bet.
ter; they use peas as fertilizer on
every spare acre, and they arc not
afraid 10 manure. We do not ezag-
gerate in the least when We say we
saw around Bennettsville three thou
sand acres of cotton, and perhaps
more: which at the time of our visit
promised to make as many five hun
dred pound bales. And in going from
Bennettsville to Cheraw, we passed as
much more Of the same kind.
Their five hundred acre fields are
as fine as, even finer than, our best
patches. And there was always a
marked difference in the cotton
which followed peas. It Was finer,
, larger and greener, the line tf de
marcation being as marked as stair
step. You often read Of "intensive
farming as applied to small area.
Here we saw it carried out on farms
of a thousand acres and more. One
gentleman, whoae farm we passed, es
timated that his 800 acres in cotton
would make $50 bales, and the esti
mate did not appear unreasonable.
His pet patch of about so acres was
6 feet high, and locked in S feet rows,
and very heavily fruited, bidding fair
to yield 2 bales per acre.
We noticed everywhere that their
cotton was very thick in the drill,
much more 30 than is common in
Edgefeld; though we think, perhaps,
it would yield more if not SO thick.
We do not presume, however, to criti'
else, judging that they are too pro.
gressive and practical people not to