The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1886-07-29
Keeping Our Lands.
Southern c,lltiuotor.

read in the CultiratesA md Qth "a
cultural journals great snlany Siftict
these DAYS about manures and fcrsi ilizefss
but I take the ground that manusbg and
fertiIizine amount to but little unless NE
prepare the land first for rnanure BY 6Fst
restoring to the land humuA; land with:
out humus / consider too far exh xhsustEd
to be benefited by manuring, unieu Se
can afford to cover the ground hrEtadca5s;
with vegetable manures, which can
not afford to do because the fbeginnipg
must be by turning under Vegetable
growth with plow annually such as scl0;.s
YER, vines. weeds, grass. stalks and SallsSzf;
and everything that will decay and
and make humus in The land
done, then we can use a small quantity
of lot manure and fertilizers fosolne I'd
vantage. But using a small anoaat
manure on exhausted soils that are with
out humus to retain moisture does Ab0ns
as much good as. to! treat 9 sick man
remedies inadequate to reach the dHeaees
Rotating crors and turning under i;
table matter is manuripg itself
the best manuring We can do, for hon
efits the crops, and such manuring gSBgeE
manent if regularly; kept up.
farms that have been annually A
and expensiyely fertilized with coMme u #
cial fertilizers and cotton seed, and 9heyjf
are getting more exhausted every year.!
[ account for it in this way, that the. .la1d
lacks; humus, and without humus sln1lsS
.nures do but little good. II may bpnet(
the crops if the land is kept moist tsifi
regular rains, but if dry it dom leYe2
benefit the crops. Butry plan is 20 sen:;}
rich. the land by restoring shumus, sud
YOU benefit the land your crops vail he3;
benefited; this must be done With ;t6eiI)
plow by plowing under vegetable inattaf I
Turn out apart Of. your fields every
to rest, and SOW down a part in cieyst;
and small grains, and when you hstyestz
leave q long stubble, to turn unders saiso5
turn under corn and cotton stslks agdl
grass, and all litter on the land,; burn stt
nothing, and by so doing, in 9 few yeas
you will see q great imp proyement i1lsouff
lands, and lot manures will go q
way, as light manuring will 60 q sTeas
way, as light manuring will count III ona
have humus in the, land, and i may SaddS
The very frat step to be taken jss to,spges
vent your fields from washing bys:t
cling and ditching. So the first andS as
portant study and duty of the faymsE IS
to keep his field from washing andsaisxk
to restore humus to his lands; If
done, manuring becomes less expe}
and more profitable, and your farm sEiiiiL|
improve in its production and yaines ls
will take labor to do this, but the cdss
the labor will be much less and more sless
munerative than what it has COST Tor
commercial fertilizers. Since theaaIaI
the great mistake made by our FAM sssrS5
was depending too much on money dangS
what we should and could have ne
ourselves with the labor ne had dsat our
command. We thought it was easies M
pay out money for many things than
have those things done by giving it;onE$
immediate attention; ne would rathes
buy our meat than to take thest trouble to-
raise It; 30 with corn, fertilizers and
many other things. I have never Ppr
sued that plan, and If I have md FeES
made such brag cotton crops las others,
have made more money than they have
done by not having to- buy meat coln
fertilizers and other things. Farming rs
self.sustaining business, and not mgaei
SO, it cannot be made successful !; that IS
assured by long experiences. - !:
5. JOHN H. DENT. D