The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1886-08-04

an du0fPSS DPtirof4N on ar. 81. II.
Errin, of Fulton, No, to the Ms
sissippi Toltey Dairy and Cream
rry Conventions.
The lover of the farm does not
feel his work Il drudgery, and he
who is on the sure road to success,
as the celebrated DR.. Rice puts it,
"getS his recreation in his work,
whether he be a farmer, merchant,
carrier, or professional" Faith in
the succc of a life devoted to the
improvement of the farm relieves
it of all Of that which is called
d%rudgery.
How a man can be a Christian
and continue to take away the fer
tility of the soil by what is called
the ordinary or skinning process Of
farming, is one of the u~nsolvcd
mysteries to me-. / believe the
day will come when the care and
Improvement of the soil, Kindness,
shelter, and good food and water
for u domestic animals, will be
taught as an article of Christian
practice.
1t has been the bad or good for
tune Of many of us to get posses
sion of farms that have been badly
managed; the virgin soil exhausted
or impoverished, not by the guam
tity Of the crop raised, but by Il
lach Of rotation and a return Of ma
nures to the field, and a washing
away Of the soil.
The speaker is now upon the
third farm of this kind since com
ing to Missouri, nearly twenty
years ago. One of the pleasant
thoughts connected with each is
that in the few years he occupied
them, he more than doubled their
productive value. / remember
we'll the the first farm / bought for
myself in the Spring of 1887. Meet
ing "A ncighbOr before / had moved
my family to the forbidding, run
down farm of 1874 acres. "Well,"
said he, "yOu must be a live Yam
kee, sure; what the - are you
going to make out Of that farm =?
| hear'n tell of people making sas-
safras oil, and l reckon that's what
you are up to" Another said, 81
don't see how it is these Yankees
are such poor judges Of land. That
farm is too poor to sprout black
eyed peas"
CShould my efforts here to-day
assume the form of a personal mar
r~ative, please remember that, like
the private in the army, I have
only had had opportunity to take
cognizance of these things that are
Immediately around me on the lit
tic farm above referred to.)
I began n system Of farming by
Keeping a careful book account of
the cost Of each crop, and what it
sold for, and also with my COWS,
hogs, sheep, etc. -Four years taught
me L could not grow wheat for less
than 81 per pushed; corr cost 81
per barrel 60 cents per bushel) to
grow it, Hay l could make and
store in the barn for So per ton.
My COWS averaged me $35 per head
of gross income. They consumed
most of that which l could make
the 'cheapest-hay. They could
gather the grass easier than L could
grow either cor or wheat. The
cows make more and better ma
nure than any other stock, quantity
ColiSlbclSu. lib utlcIllllIleu IIlS
to study the dairy business with a
view of becoming a dairyman. I
saw if / could get more /
could grow more grass, and If l had
more grass l gould keep more cows
and make more manure.
In the summer of 1874 I put up a
large crop of hay, considering the
area of.the farm, and made as com
Portable shelter as / could with the
limited mean at my command,
built a small dairy room, also a dog
power to do the churning, and /
began, October LIST, with seven
cows. Manure was then-and Is
now-and 1 think ever will be the
central or leading idea. The sale
Of milk and butter. after SUPP ort-
ing my family (Which is not q small
Qne), is used for the purpose of feed