The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-07-21
Keeping Our Lands.
Southern Cultivator.

Tread In the CtlniUator and other agricultu-
raj Journals q great many articles these days
about manures and fertilizers, but l tnke
Ing amount to but little unless we prepare
the land first for manure by first restoring to
the land humus: land without humus con-
slider too far exhausted to be beneittei by
manuring, unless we can afford to cove the
ground broadcast with vegetable mar ures,
which we cannot afford to do because the be-
ri nning must be by turning under vege table
growth with plow snnuaiiy suGh i ond s e,oeg svery
thing that wifi decay and rot and mako hui
mus in the land. This done, then we can use
Il small quantity OF lot manure ana ierti
araount OF manure on exhausted soils that
are without humus to retain moisture does
about as much good as to treat sick man
with remedies Inadequate to reach the dis
ease. Rotating crops and turning under veg
etablc matter Is manuring ITSELF ana in Ine
best manuring we tan do, for IL Dement'S the
crops, and such m9nuring rs Permhafehho man hova IL
been annually heavily and eXpenslvely fer
tilized with commercial fertilizers and cotton
seed and they arc getting more exhausted ev-
the land lacks humus, and without httmus
manures do but little good. 1t may oenent
the crops IL the land Is kept moist with regu.
lar rains, but If dry 1t don't even benefit the
crops. But my plan Is to enrich the land by
restoring humus, and If you benefit the land
ycur crops will be benefited; this must be
dcne with the plow by plowing under vtgeta-
bl matter. Turn out q part Of your flelCs ev-
ery year to rest, and SOW down part fr' clo-
yer and small grains, and when you harvest
lenye long stubble to turn under; also turn
under corn and cotton stalks and grass, and
all litter on the land, burn up nothing, and by
so doing, in few years you VIII see great
Improvement In your lands, and lot maAures
viii 20 q great way, as light manurlng Will
will 60 great way, as light manuTing VIII
count If You have humus In the land, and L
may add the very first step to be taken Is 10
prevent your fields from washing by terraclng
and ditchlng. so the first and important
study and duty of the farmer f5 to Keep his
field from washing, and next to- restore hu-
mus 10 his lands; If this is done. man lrlng
becomes less expensive and more proh able,
and your farm VIII improve in It's production
aud value, IL will take labor 70 do this, but
the cost of the labor will be much less and
more rcmuneraLive than what 1t has cost for
com rnercial fertilizers. Since the wal the
great mistake made by our farmers was de-
pending too much on money doing what we
should and could have done ourselves Wita
the labor we had ut our command. we
thought it was easier to pay cut money for
many things than to have those things
done by giving 1t Our immediate at
tention: we would rather buy our meat
than to take the trouble TO raise IT.; so with
corn, fertilizers and many other things. l
have never pursued that plan, and If have
never made such brag cotton crops as Others,
have made more money than they nave
done by not having 10 buy meat, corn lertll-
izcrs and other things. Farming Is Il sef-sus-
taining business, and not made so, 1t cannot
be made successful; that is assured by long
experience. JOHN II. DENT.