The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1888-02-22
TIMELY TOPICS FOR FARMERS.
HOW TO DO PAYING WORK AT THIS
SEASON,
Suggestions Of Interest, from an AutIori-
tatiye Source.

tative Source.
(W. l.. Jones in Southern Cultiyator)
This is the beginning of the busy work
Of preparing for :ho next crop, The
farm now demands all the enel gics of
the farmer who would lay n broad foun-
dation for successful years work. 1t
is impossible to foreseo what will bo the
character of tho seasons in tho future.
We know that it will be either "wct" or
"dry," or "scasonable." IL is well to
provide against either extreme rs far as
practicable. Only ordinary skill and
judgment on the part OF the farmer are
required to make reasonably fair crop
i'll fairly scasonablo year. But it docs
require high degree of skill, and a
Judgment that is based on experience
and study to discount, in advance, the
drawbacks and casualties that are posi-
bilitics and probabilities Of tho future.
1t IS often said that "a crop we'll planted
is half made" but the land must be
properly prepared, securely protected
against stock, judiciously fcrtilizcd etc,
and tho seed properly selected and
planted before it may be truly said that
the crop has been "wcll planted" Somo
have sad that farmer ought to plant
such an area in corn rs will yield, under
tho most adverse circumstances, n
suiicicncy for home use. This is put
ting 1t rather too strong. Every farmer
oi dozen years experience knows that
seasons occur when it would have been
better to have planted no corn at all;
and probably he would not if he could
have forcscen tho result.
Tho safer rule is to adjust rclntivc
areas Gn provision crops especially with
reference to expected average seasons, so
that an abundance will bc produced with
such seasons. 1t is well enough to pre-
pare the land and space the plants rs ii
expecting n dry good year. Then il
good scaSonSpr0ycd nothing will have
been lost. and if Il drOuth occur at the
critical period the extra labor Of prcpa-
ration and the wide spacing will tell
wonderfully in the final result. Let
every farmer consider what he wishes or
expects to secure by the labors Of the
year. What are the most pressing and
indispensable wants among those that
may be on the farm? Obviously, food
comes first; clothing next, and SO on.
L
make n living (mcat and bread, lodging
and clothins) for himself aud family
In our Judgment the man who makes
the production of cotton the main object
Of effort, and who looks upon the grow
ing Of food crops and other departments
OF farm industry, AS mere incidents or
unavoidable drawbacks, makes very
serious, radical mistake. Such mistakes
are frequent, and arc frequently if not
generality the cause of failure. Snch
mistakes are the cause OF the present de-
preston in Southcrn agriculture.
We should first produce what we need
most wlnt We mrst hlSc--wLut we
consume, not what not need COR
need but little OF ar What we cnuuOt
consume. The fam who plans,
pitches, prepares, plants and cutivatcs
with direct regard to supplying his iami-
ly witt. food in such variety and of such
wholesome quality rs may only be pro.
duccd under his own eye, Will not DO
likely TO suffer for want OF any reason
able comfort, necessary, OF even modest
luxury that may be outside the limits of
actu Il home production. The prudent
provision for "plonty Of everything"
that such a farmer will mako viii gcncr-
ally result in such Il surplus OF ono or
moro products Of his labor as will pro
cure such other objects Of desire, to aay
nothing OF the returns from TIC cotton
or other so.called "monoy crop"
We claim no originality in the fore
going "rhoughts," except possibly in
tho manner Of presenting some of them.
In tho main they Gro substantially tho
cold story" We would that by any
means we might Impress upon Southern
farmers that the essential idea and aim
in farming-an object that is attliuablo
Ill no other pursuit on Carth-should be
to supply tho chief neccssaries and many
of the Injuries of life directly from the
farm. The mechanic, the miner, the
mere laborer, tho professional man, the
follower of every other craft must eX-
change tho products OF his labor for
money, and with the money purchase il
the market the real objects of desire and
necessity. Not SO with the true farmer,
in such climate and with such teem-
ing soil as ours.
SPRING OATS.
The acreage sown in fall oats is much
less than usual. Thefrcozing out OF a large
portion of the crop of 1886 by the hard
freezes in January, 1887, han most dis.
couraging effect, which was augmented
by the untavofably dry weather which,
prevailed in some parts Of tho country
during the sowing season. Tho ont crop,
however, 10 too valuable and in tho long
run too reliable to be given up. Spring
sowing costs little more than the seed,
even ii the crop fails from drouth; and n
good breadth eight or ten aC. ys at leant
to each plow run should be put in.
In our judgment founded upon expert
ence and observation---oa oats sowl in
February are much less liable to injury
by freezing than if sown in January.
Sowing in tho sold twelve days" smacks
moro of superstition and sentiment than
sound reason. Our hardest weather i,
usually from December % to February
/, and it is not often that oats sown in
February are killed by freezing. The
soil for spring oats, ii not already fertile,
should bc well manured and deeply and
closely plowed the latter to guard
a0ninsL 1rOuth ns much ns nOssiblo If