The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-04-14
How to use CuIfivatOrs.

On page 6i of the February issue OF the Cug.
ttvdtcr, "Old Subscriber" Of Dicksons 4
Roads, La, asks for information In regard to
ed n wish for some of your readers to answer.
and having had some experience In running
these plows. thought few words from me
might not be arnss.
The first cultivators introduced into the,
South were considered by many in some re-.
spccts failure whether the fault was in the,
plow or ne inexperence and want 9f apPre.
one thing is certain, and that is, the people
have either learned to successfully run these
machines or the manufacturers have made
great improvements in them within the past
few years, for think that few Of the culti-
vators of o-day are quite near perfection.
During the past four years have been
w1ripSS p1eTbS MSm and
free of stulnps. The place Is thickly set with
Johnson grass, which Is known TO alto be Il
great pest and trouble In summer crops, es-
b bnt, Notwithstanding ali that, 1 have, with
each cultivator, cultivated from sixty to sew
cnty acres of corn and cotton, going "roundn ,1,'
one Of these plows willproduce more per acre
by one.fourth than that cultivated in the
cold" way. At the first plowing put the
turn shovels on the inside next to the row,
ones being on the outside; and at the SECONDS.
the straight plows were put next to the rows
and the twisted ones outside, throwing ING
dirt back; ! then put puts on the sweeps anS con-;
IT. has been said that corn cannot be plowedH
with them after reaching the height OF three
or four feet. but to such I will say that new.
er any other plow in my CROP after IT. nas
by, the corn is six or seven feet high. You
would not break down as many stalks In
week as negro with a sweep would IN one
day. Any man with "commOn intelligence"
can run one. The greatest trouble would be
in "setting' 1t, bat after you once learn how,
you can set IL as quickly as any other plow.
well to observe: negro can never set one,
but can run it after some white man has set
and regulated 1t for him the negro will not
viii do ali he can at first to damage it; yet
when he sees that a man is determined to
have them, then he will try to learn some.
thing about them. 1t is hard matser Sor q
We cannot except any better. 81
| When farmer wishes TO "carry the whole
| middle through at once" he will have to lay
Off his rows tor three feet ten inches to four
| feet wide, as have never seen cultivator
give satisfaction in rows much wider or mar
rover If "Old Subscriber" Will buy him
thoroughly tested, and take It himself for
The first week or So and learn oil about II be-
fore giving it into the hands OF some one else
to manage, he will never regret the invest.
the pows to SET them in the proper position
an d teaches his horses to walk right (Which is
rc,.y importantly he will wish that he was
gifted with. the patience OF job, and That
every cultivator was in Guinea, or some other
country, He should continue to run 1t one
week longer, and he will be surprised to ,fnd
how simple and easy 1t Is TO regulate ana
run. II.
have run almost every kind Of labor-sav-
| ing machines that the Southern farmers may
have need of-froIu Disc harrow toa cord bin.
der-and have had just the same experience
with every one, in learning how to run them.
| Most of men are too quick to give up any
! lining and pronounce IT a "botch;" this is u
great mistake; we ought to give things that
promise to lessen the amount of manual i:-
Dor upon the farm, at least fair and impair.
| tial trial before condemninS then Some rev
object to these machines because they require
| too many horses Or mules TO draw them that
argument will not hold;tOgether tor second
when we compare the amount paid for extr!
tabor in single season to the actual cost or
keeping such team. would urge upon tho
Southern planters, and especially the young
| farmers OF the South, the Importance or using
more labor saving implements, thereby SUP;
shutting animal for manual abor. We couId
| then raise out own bread and meat, horses
and mules, at but very little cost, and the
millions Of dollars that have been annually
sent North and West for these supplies could
| be used in educating our children and heauti.
| Tying our homes, Then what refined and
| beautiful country our South-the fair sunny
South'-would be !-Southe,n Cuitiuator.