The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-11-03
OPINIONS VERSUS CONVICTIONS.
Sensible Talk About Farming, and
t..e EyOrx which GhOuId be Zone
this Fall and Winter.

Some Of Us think i.Iat opinions and convic'
lions arc one and he same thing. while ON
pr. think they are very different from each
other We are told that NEST. persons have
opinions. Now ann then - person has cOnrfc-
tons. y man with an opinion Is of small
consequence for or against Il cause about
which he has an OpiIon. y man with con
victim Is always n power in the dircrt;cn ni
his con virtion. AZ y rule the men who have
only opinions are waiting to lie led bJ men
who have convictions. Commonly one man
with Il cOnv nviciion can lead, well, say from one
hundred to one million men who merely have
opinions. One Of The great necessities OF The
day arc men OF we'll defined agricultural con-
viciionS-nOt men who must hear everybody
clSe's opinions before they form one for them
srlvcs-Such men are always behind hand,
stumbling blocks In the way OF the general
progress and developments of the times. The
tny has come when they must get out OF the
way or he r.In over. How sftCn do you hear
the question: WHAT'S your opinion about cUt-
ton? Hadn't we better hold? Won't 1t 80 up
in the Spring?
We heard oi a farmer who sold his last
years crop of cotton q short while ago for
eight anI rl,alf cents per pound; he could
have sold il for nine aEd half when 1t was
ginncd and packed. nearly twelve months
ago: he had an opinion that cotton wonld 20
out as cold as an iron wedge. .
We have said Ibis mnch, and we hope 1t
will not be considered har> II, hut We wish to
call especial attention 10 the subject OF han
ding our cotton crop after It. Is made. This Is
the principal farm work for the month.
If the average farmer takes one OF the lead.
ing agricultural raprrs, good weekly, ms
County paper, (all of these three wi not cost
IL IN more than the price uf II few dozen eggs.
or u few fowls, or q few pounds OF butter or
lard, or may he, Il ham or TWO, all or Whlch
any farmer of true convlc'lnnS VIII a'ways
raise sufficient 10 spare If nor, he will have to
deny himself of Il few plugs of tobacco, or he
and his friends Of II few drinkS) because there
Is 10 use talking about 1t, lie can't get along
IN IN n
them or he won't even have an opinion worth
listening to.
Having read his papers thoroughly, looked
over the cotton reports, compared 1856 WIN
1856, noted the receipts, read carefully the re-
ports from both National and State Depart
men Of Agriculture, We are Of the opinion
that his conviction rs to the cotton marker
will be Just trustworthy rs that OF any New
York cOtkOn broker. or course this Is not III
filIibe; he may err at times, but In series
Dr years he will find that his true policy Is to
gather his cotton rs fast rs possible, prepare
for market and sell at once; he will get ful!
weight, he will 0ften,imeS save his seed from
hciIIg damaged by the cotton being kept IN
bulk too long, he will get or TO market before
bad weather SciS in, Will have his debts paid
and interest stopped, and having closed this
part of his business up, leaves him with un-
INTERRUPTED time tD finish up his grain crop
and round up all other detail farm work the
close of the year. These are our firm conv1c-
LiOnS.
This has indeed been an eventEul year for
our farmers: especially has this been the case
with the Piedmont section Of the State. Inc
long continued frcShcS along all our water
courses the unusual height reached by the
streams WAS greater than ever known before
within the recollection OF our oldest citizens; !;
the corn crops were entirely destroyed on all
our 81 ircamS; the wet May and June very Sc
riously damaged what little grain crops that
were made; put cotton in the grass, with the
net result Of about 10 per cent. OF an average
crop for 1855. But of one thing we have no
two opinions, and that is that our farmers
cannot lie idly ny hugging the dc'uStvc phan-
tom OF hope, but on the other hand he has 10
beSlir himself with unusual energy. If he
has failed during the short favorable spell we
had early in September To get IN some o1rlt!
and oats, This is something that must be done
at the first rain. Every farmer OF close obScr.
vatiun is well aware of the advantages OF
something of the kind that Is very early.
PREPARE some of your best land and put in
quarter of an acre In barley for each work an
imal, and continue sowing oats until ISL Oh
March, sowing ut least five acres for each ami
nal. Sow an acre of wheat for every member
of your family old enough to eata biscuit. If
the same manure. same preparation, is given
in this direction rs Is given cotton, we VIII
never have to buy food for man Or beast, Will
out your corn crop Is Il failure.
Before the appearance OF The next lkcpOrI
tho State Fair will he held. and We wish to
call the fact 10 your consideration that you
may give some thought during the month as
whether or not it Will repay ynu to attend.
1t would seem that no further hdvcrllS"mrht
of the fair il necessary. Every flrnar In the
State knows its objects and ends, and 1t rc-
mains with YOU to say whether You VIII make
Il IL successful instrument uf great Usefulness,
or " i'll YOU leave 1t to do its work without
your Individual aid.