The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1889-02-27
DON'T BUY CORN,

The farmers of Clarendon county
q grest many sof them, are not in 6
prosperous condition. Any farme,
who has to buy corn, hay, bacon, mo,
lasses, and such is losing ground; an6
that farmer who habitually buys suct
commodities had better go at some
other business, or hire out for wages
for he cannot make money off his
farm, Failure, falling behind, and
dishonesty will be the inevitable re.
suit Don't misunderstood US: We
say the farmer who habitually buvs
such commodities will probably end
up by dishonest failure During
the present decade the farmers Of
Clarendon have had three hard wears
10 tide over, 1882. 1885, and the pres.
ent year 1889, as a result of bad pre-
cedlng crop years. The corn crop in
seyera. sections OF this county last
year was poor or failure, but in our
opinion last years misfortunes furnish
no valid excuse for the present bad
state Of affairs
In a recent conversation with Mr..
M Len, tie largert dealer in this
section of1country, we elicit ed the fol-
lowing facts: He has already since
the 1st OF January ordered three car
loads OF corn, and Will probably or
der tour more carloads. He has also
ordered during the same time 8 car
loads OF bacon, 2 of hay, 2 of -four,
and OF molasses; and he expects to
order in addition to this 8 of bacon
and 2 OF hay. Mr.. D. Levi, ofSantee
section, has already, since Jan. 1st,
ordered 8 carloads of corn, l of bacon,
I OF hay, and I of molasses, and he
VIII need more yet {A carload con-
talns about 500 bushels corn, or
25OO pounds bacon, or 120 barrels of
Hour.) This now is from just two of
our merchants. Loyns and Rigby,
and Weinberg also sell largely of these
odlties, but not so much as MIR.
Lew And good many farmers or
der thelr supplies from Charleston and
other places.
The question we wish to PROFOUND
IS why do our farmers buy so much
produce that could easily be made at
aome! No molasses or syrup can
equal in quality or purity that we
make rom the ribbon cane. This
cane grows vel, is easily cultivated,
and Yields very largely. A half acre
crop would supply the family and
hands OF an average farmer. Yet few
farmers In the county plant it. It
would be 8 blessing to our county
were every farmer in the county to
psans from s quarter of an acre to an
scse Of this cane.
&c is 8 threadbare saving that the
aarmer who does not make his own
corn is sliding backwards. Then,
there is oats. Every farmer should
make enough to last him year, and
keep it on hand IN case his corn crop
fsaas He need never fear having too
much oats or corn on hand. It can
always be sold, and at good prices,
Flour It IS best to buy, as our soil
and climate is not adapted to wheat
growing But were We to raise our
own corn and oats -four would be
cheaper, inasmuch as less corn and
cats would be raisedin the Northwest,
and more wheat grown would re-
duee the price. Blythe same reason
ing were we to plant less cotton and
more OF other products Eve speak
1oHos the whole South the price Of
cotton would advance We plant too
mueh cotton, dsbuy too much cheap
fertilizers We do not make use of
compost heaps and Of other home
auxiliares, as we should.
But the thing Ethat surprises US
most OF all is that farmer should
buy hay. He works and tolls and
sweats oil the summer to destroy the
grass and then buysft the following
spring: A few acres in grass and
peass properly cured would furnish,
N TIE very best of forage. any plan
Ssion IN the county, and at the same
time improve the soil.
We have listened with pleasure to
Jas z Endal, Jos. Sprott, G. S. Land,
and many Others teH how they man
age, and what fine crops they make.
But they talk about all this at the
wrong time. NOW is thetime. Haze
farmers meetings saoso; get the farmers
: TO come out; induce every farmer TO
set aside two or three or four acres
for cane, and grass, and pease; induce
saes, to plant, as an experiment, one
es two acres on the intensive system;
has have more practical working, and
less theory; get every farmer enthusi-
astic on the subject of farming: and
peace, plenty, and prosperity will per-
wade the land. It is not pleasant to
know so many Of our farmers are buy
ing CORE, and hay> and OATS. and mo-
lasses and bacon. A change is needed.
The subject is one of great interest,
and We shall be pleased to have any
one take i ap.
While on this subject We may men
tion that though the prices Of guanos