The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1886-08-26

the sandy loans of the lower country.
Barley Is highly remuncrativc for early
spring SOlling, and red clover SOW us Il
separate crop on hurdlCd land has never
failed to catch, and does as well as /
have over seen it in Virginia or Ken
lucky. From forty to fifty acres are
now set aside for these crops.
PASPUKAGE.
There are, as stated, sovcnty-fivc acres
In meadow, ono hundred acres in corn
culture, fifty being planted alternate
years, eighty acres in the cotton and out
rotation, and say fifty acres in small
crops. The remainder is permanent
pasture or forest. OF this near 400 acres
is recently cultivated land, NDoth bot
toms and highland,) or highland known
with us rs cold licld," upon which all
the short-lCavcd pine has been cut down
and the young dcciduous trees left for
shade This constitutes the summer
pastures It's cultivation consists i'm
keeping down shrub growth and an an
nual spring scOrchntg oil Of dead grass.
Under this treatment the soil Of natural
grasses has steadily improved. 1t car
rlcS including cattle, sheep, hogs and
colts, some five hundred head Of stock.
A separately fenced pasture is necessary
II.
In the winter the glcanings Of the corn
fields, the aftermath of the meadow and
the cnncbrakCS of the swamp forest,
(Which arc not graZCd in summer are a
valuable resource.
SHEEP.
Commencing with fifty native and
fifty SouthdOwn ewes, broad tailed bucks
were bred to them and their female
DrnDpnN for fpn,, fI1,,,,
bred Southdown buck was put with the
flock and recently n Shropshire has been
added, the broad tailed being withdrawn
t" the same extent. The number Of
breeding ewes was increased to near
three hundred. These were found to be
too many, and two hundred adopted as
the right number without further Dro-
vision of special pastungc. The flock
has been kept principally for thc lamb
market and the product of wool is n sec
Ondary object Barren ewes arc cullcd
for sale; breeding ewes have been gcncr-
ally kept as long rs they were fertile. In
nine years three sheep have been lost by
dogs, none by theft. There has been a
little Scab and other disease Of II sporadic
character. No epidemic Of any kind;
some deaths from accident, some from
old age, and few from unknown causes.
| 'iiN ioHH VI {lpNl Sllttl) from tIl tllCSc
causes has varied from ) to 10 Der cent,
with an average of less than ) per cent.
The number of lambs reared in proper
ton to ewes has averaged 81 per cent.
From Christmas till middle OF April thc
lock receives as much hay as it will cat
clean mt night, with, per head, II pint Of
cotton seed one night and one large tul-
nip sliced up the next. At other times
1t SubSist upon the pasturagc heretofore
indicated. From early spring until
Christmas the sheep are hurdlcd in open
movable pens; in winter they arc yardCd
at night upon litter with sheds provided
that they can use at pleasure.
CATTLE
Cattle have been bred chiefly for beef
and work animals, the calves getting
nearly all the milk from tkcir dams.
Recently dairy for the sale OF butter
has been undertaken with success thus
far. Selected native COWS were bred to
IL Devon bull with Brahmin cross. The
half-brcd hciIcrs were bred to II short.
horn bull with like Brahmin cross, and
now purc-brcd Devon is being used.
The result has been rapid improvement
and handsome herd of general purpose
cattle. No further crOsSbrcctiing is con-
tcmplatcd. Devon bulls will be used in
future. About fifty head Of cattle ars
kept. The straw crop and some second
c lass hay Is reserved for their usc in bad
weather Ill winter, and when high water
keeps them from the cancbYukrs Thrv
also Ill winter arc yardcd ut night ON
litter with adjacent shelter, and are
hurdlcd i'll summer alongside Of but moi
with the sheep. In murdling, the land
IS plou8hcd before and after the stock is
put upon ii. The size Of the pens is de-
tcmlncd 10y the number Of stock, upon
Il calculation that one COW is equal to
three sheep and that five hundred sheep
VIII III seven days manure an acre. I his
IS more than profit, and other writers
consider Il fair dressing. 1t is believed
to be the equivalent Of mt least seven or
eight hundred pounds of iirat.claSs fer |
tlilzer, and the pcrmancncy of its effect .
| with fair after treatment, is such that il !
IS thought to add ten dollars per acre TO |
the Valuo of the land. The manure of /
animals is applied by hur,llng at one
thlrd OF the expense of compost.
COLTS.
Colts have been the least profitable |.
stock handled. Both mules and horses .
have cost nearly their full value to rear
them. Some are still bred both for the |
pleasure in dealing with them, and be- ,
cause they too purchase the grain and .
forage crops at full value. Mule colts
pay better than horse colts Of the com
mon breed.
Hogs have given satisfaction on two
different plans. First: Keeping only
enough to be reared on natural pastuT-
age and the waste Of the place, receiving
grain only when put up to iuttcn rol
slaughter; and second, (whicE is now
prcfcrrcd,) keeping enough to make
them the chief purchasers Of the corn
grown and the clover md pea crops.
This is the only stock not carefully
yardcd every night during fine year, and
there has been little if any loss by theft.
So far, there has been immunity from
epidemic diseases. Essex and Berkshire
grades arc used and sales ON foot, at
from eight to twelve months old, have
been found most profitable
WORK ANIMALS AND MACHINEKY.