The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1888-10-18
THE OATS CROP.
Directions for the Planting of One of Our
Most Important Crops

II answer to the questions recently
propounded in this paper, the following
answers have been received. The questions
and answers are given below:
l.. w as not. the planting of oats, on &C:
count of frequent failures, almost a6an..
.doned before CO.. Wyatt Aiken introduc.
ed the red rust proof variety and from
whence did he procure the seed
2. For few years after the introduc..
:tion of the red.rust. proof oats was
the oats crop both abundant and certain I
8, Has not the deterioration ofthe seed
caused the failures of;the past few years,
and would not the importation and use OF
"a fresh supply of seedsagain ensure gooa
scrops?
q. With the poor. corn crop Of this year
wouldn't not be advisable to make the e1-
pertinent this fall with fresh seed ?
In reply to your first question | would
state that the planting of fallrats wss al
most abandoned before Col. Aiken intro.
iduced the red .rust.proof variety. 1 do
not know from whence he procured the
seed, but. one ofthe most successful Tar.
mers in sAbbeville County told me that
he had failed for six years, in his crop. of
fall;oats before he began sowing them. I
The oats cropwas abundant and certain
for several years after they were introduc:
ed. In 1880 purchased red rust.rroof
seed from Gen. Bratton, who told me that
they ,were;not the purest and would dete.
riorate bnt although the winter OF 1851
was as severe as any We have had since, !!
made magnificent crop. | succeeded
for three successive years making large
yields. The fourth year my estimate was vi
half:of q full crop, and since then ! have
failed in the fall sowing 9,
+ believe this failure due entirely to the
deterioration of the seed, for have plant.
ed them at the right season. Of late
years q Texas variety, said to be red rust
proof, is used throughout our country,
and from them:I have never seen q fall
crop !. of oats. i believe the demand Tor
pure rust proof seed to be imperative,
and the farmers Of Fairfield should
endeavor to. secure them and plant at
once. The Alliance should take hold OF
the matter sand.see that their members
do 80. q It has been my observation in
many instances, especially with small
farmers, that they plant their oats on the
most inferior lands This is o mistake.
The oats5should; be. planted on the best
quality Of coil, fplonghed in with email
side plough hoes and narrowed till the
soilSis thorough tpulyerised 5. Use pure
rust proof: seed. Prepare the land worth
planting in the; above manner, and there
will be no disappoiDtm in the tall
sowing. -: IS. y. :. e. -. :
But how ma ny plant land that they
know will mot be: remunerative. There
lis many an acre on every farm that |
have visitedin Fairfield County, planted
in cotton, which, fthe planter would ask
himself the 6Gaestion, will this pay? has
mot this soil been exhausted Z would be
turned into pasturage or allowed to rest,
sbnt they:d decide that 9 certain number OF
acres must be planted, and in many in-
stances with Fall 5of its vegetable matter
worn ont, such landsis planted, thereby
throwing away the exertions of the plant.
or for q pittanc eedipg mules to cnltl:
vate it on corn purchased at lien prices
and paying the negro with money
borrowed at rninous rates of interest.
;;I believe in the. intensive system OF
farming, although up to this timeI have
not ;practiced it. Our people very seldom
ask ithemselve s if they are making money
orr losing it, As a general thing they
keep no books aud nottell where they
stand. They are satisfied with the
knowledge that they are following the
same occupation and methods used in the
ante: bellun days when their grandfathers
made fortunes or their fathers provided
|Seyery comfort for their families; !; but they
never stop to think that times and customs
change, that we have no more original
woods to clear, and that the substance bas
been gradually drained out Of the soil.
That with the impoYerishment of the
Hand they themselves become poorer as
each: year rolls round. Cattle, the
principal ingredients of successful farm.
|! ing, are little priced, and almost ali ofour
mules and horses are purchased from q
distance
The Eastern, the Northwest, or the
Western business man drops any
occupation or changes his system as soon
as he convjnces himselfihat it does not
pay; but. in our Southern land if this is
done Z by one who would better his
condition, bis neighbors Immediately say ):
Poor fellow, he has good qualities, but
he istoo changeable and speculative to
succeed" !"
But l am depressing and giving you
more than you asked for, but I must add
that in my apinion ne have the best
climate in the world, land as generous,
when properly fed, as any on earth, labor
that, with proper direction and under the
control Of a firm and just hand is second
to none. Free from any plaques that
effect man or beast, with pasture lands,
when comparing the prices at.which they
can be purchased as profitable as any in
the blue grass regions, we ought to be a
prosperous and happy people, and if we
are not 80, the fault is not in our govern
ment, not in our stars, but in ourselves.
John G. Mobley, in Wiansboro News
and RernM.
CUMBERLAND, MD, Oct 7.-Y yesterday
abnut uoon, at Hyndman, 16 miles west Of
Cumberland, on the Pitlsburg & Conuells.
vile Railroad, two boys were killed out
right b. .te accidental discharge o! a gun
in the hard4 Of Albert Rnbh. young
man about 20 years old. and brakeman
n,s,ho D ,df,rd Div;.on ,,f IN @ peutavlva