The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1886-04-01
IrBsEs a,RoaF; F;MoIlsSs oRIsEx.

i The very favorable weather we have
had for the last eight or ten deys, has
been inspiring. Our farmers and hor-
B dc9lturists are very busy. Tho latter
have for q week or two been feasting
their eyes upon the golden belt, tho
! jonqufl Cor jonqrille), tile hyaointh,
J; and ono ortwo other fair daughters Of
the spring, whose names bavo for
gotten how to spoll, and will not risk
It, as l have no Botany by me. Then
our peach and plum trees are in full
bloom; and the fragrance of the latter
calls to mind the pretty, yet bombastic
sentence Of M. l.. Weems (I believe)
in his life of Washington, which read
when boy: "Sweeter than tho in
cense Of Persia; yea, more delicious
than orders waited by western gales
from folds Of Arabian spices"
But to return from Arabia. Our
farmers are very busy planting corn.
"A week ago ono of my neighbors had
i,.twenty acres planted, and another
! fifteens Much more is being planted,
especially in light sandy upland. The
low price of cotton and failure in an
oats crop for the current year, will
induce our farmers to plant much
moro corn than usual. This. adverse
circumstances will produce one good
result at least. I ann more and more
convinced that the masses of our
farmers will never get up until they
make good corn crops, and raise good
hog crops. If the lien law had not run
people crazy, they would have been
far better off to.dap. This I know is
tho opiniUn Of many of our thinking
men, and among them some Of our
best farmers. ,..r
| BY the way, let me tell you some.
thing about corn. Sometime ago my
old friend Stephen Gibson sent me u
present of twelve bushels Of corn. In
shucking it out, it occurred to mo that
it was the best average corn had ever
seen, not only in respect to length of
ears, but in respect also to their cir
cumference and size of grains. Pick
ing up five ears lying about the top, I
measured them from the first to the
last grain. Two of them were 1Oa
inches of corn (not cob) tho other
three were l04 inches. l picked up
another ear only 81 inches in length,
and counted the rows to be twenty
four, with fifty-two grains to row,
giving 1,248 grains. But in addition
to this number, near one-third of the
small end, which was flattened, the
grains seemed to be about twice as
thick as on the larger end, but SO
Heterogeneous as entirely TO cffacc the
rows and render it impossible to count
them. But instead ofsaying one-third
may safely add one-fourth which is |
312, which added makes 1866 OH All
ear 81 Inches long. Now if we sup
pose the same, stalk made another with
only half tho number of grains, we
Twill have 2,S4O grains from one grain.
The number of rows on corn is gen.
orally either Il, 16or 18. I had never
before noticed one with twenty-fonr.
But neighbor of mine, Mr.. Robert
Lennon, who cultivates. some fine
bottom land on Mill Greek, told me
other day he once found an ear with
twenty-six rows. Mr.. q. could no
doubt find ears among his corn, moro
remarkable than those have noticed
for it is not probable that in taking IL
bushels for 500 or 1000, I should get
the longest ear or the one having the
largest number of grains. This corn
grow on MIR. CPS bottom lands on
Little RiIer, and did not suffer a day
for rain. Some of our farmers may
make as fine corn az this, for aught l..
know, but this is the finest I have ever
noticed. Query: Is corn the most
prolific of our cereals? What say our
farmers about wheat and oats? 81
Now, Messrs. Editors, should you
feel little crcdulous in regard to any
statement herein contained, I give you
q cordial invitation to visit "Morris
Creek" at his cottage home, stopping
just before you reach the six mile post
on the road to Glenn's Bridge, at q
gate on your right, near large and
magnificent white oak, and we will
give the whole matter an ocular and
mathematical investigation. You may
also be assured of receiving as much
courtesy as is possible for little man,
In a. little cottage, to render. You
! will Furthermore, have an opportunity
of seeing the grand granite works Of
the Oman & Stewart Stone Company.
| NORRIS CREEK.
| [The hospital challenge of our COR
respondent is most tempting one.
We hope to accept it-EDs.
.. ---.-aso-.-
| TTSLo IT,o.1;ot,