The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1889-12-18
TAE MULBERRY TREE.
WHAT 4 WELI:-KNCWN FAR
MEE THINKS OF ITS CULTURE.

WHAT 4 WELI.-KNCWN FAR
MEE THINKS Or ITS CULTURE.
Hon. Jnmes ". smith Tai. cEiia Faith .
s.of Its Culture.
Atlanta Constitution.
Hon. James n. Smith, of Suithonia:
Ga, bears State reputation as being
one Of the most progressive farmers OF
the South. His Oglethrope county
plantations are models, and show that
Mr.. Smith has reduced farming to aI
actual de-
monstrate how much money there is
IN agriculture when properly attended
to. Mr. Smith has made plenty of
money and is probably the wealthiest
planter in:Georgia.
CULTIVATION OF THE MULBERRY,
During the past few weeks report
has been in general circulation among
the papers OF the State to the effect
that Mr.. Smith had planted one hun
dred thousand mulberry trees in this
county, his object being to make
thorough test Of silk culture in GeoT-
gia. The report said that he was
satisfied that there wasa great dea! OF
money IN it, and determined to go to
work at once to developed it; that he
negotiated with Mr.. w. II. Thurman,
ofAthens, to set out these trees, and
that Mr.. Thurman Nas now at work
at it.
a representative Of the Constitution
called on Mr.. Smitl 20 inquire of him
concerning the matter, and in reply
to the question as to whether or not
the reports were true, he said:
They are partly true, but greatly
exaggerated. TWO years ago | bought
one thousand fruit bearing mulberry
scions and got man to superintend
their planting I did this not only be-
cause 1 wanted to incidentally test the
silk industry, but because l thought
the mulberry tree possessed may ad
vantages in other respects. l regard
the fruit bearing mu. berry as vaIua-
= bic tree both for fruit and for timber.
They grow up quickly, and bear ber-
ries luxuriantly. Being nearly al
heart, the timber is very valuable for
posts, crossties and many other pur
poses where durability is an object.
Again mulberry timber is especially
adaptable for furniture. These trees
bear fruit 100 days each year. begin
ming the last of. May. While some Of
the berries are ripe and falling to the
ground, others are green, and others
blooming. Hogs are extremely fond
of them, and fatten rapidly on them.
So do chickens and other fowls.
A PROFITABLE CULTURE.
II have no doubt but that the grow
: ing of these trees can be made profta-
bue. On an acre of land one hundred
could be set out, and in ten or fifteen
years these trees would average say
eight or ten inches in diameter, and
eighteen or twenty feet in height with
out the limbs. Each tree would fur
nish at this rate about one hundred
feet of lumber. This lumber at one
dollar per hundred feet would cause
each tree 10 be worth one dollar after
being sawed up. Mulberry lumber,
however, is worth more than one dol
lar per hundred feet, prepare two dol
. lars. But whether they are ever
raised for timber or not on a large
scale, every farmer should have few
acres for his hogs and chickens. a few
around the ! ard for chickens is an ex-
cellent thing"
AS TIMBER BECOMES MORE SCARCE
. and valuable our people, if they are
wise, will begin to look about for the
most available timber to take the place
of that now being cleared away so rap
idly. Instead of cultivating at a loss,
as some do, hundreds Of acres of poor,
worn and exhausted land, it would be
much better to plant these lands in
, some growth, which in the course OF
time, would beEaluable.
II call the attention Of the people &c
matters of material progress, to inducs
| them to look ahead and perbare tol
: coming years. To persuade them 10 in,
prove their homes in every possible
way, is prehaps, the greatest mission
Of any newspaper, or any man. The
Constitution has for years been pre-,
eminently on this line, and for its
work deserves the praise Of the pee,
plh."