The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-08-06
THE FARMERS IN AUGUST.
TO Reap the Fruits of Ezis LabOr md
Enjoy the Frnition OF His Hopes.
The Great Want of the Southern
Farmer il More Hay. and More
Grass---Employmen That is Bet.
Ter Than Pulling Fodder

Southern Cultirdior.
| The labor OF cultivating the main crops OF
the farm Is now pretty we'll ended, and the
we'll earned season Of com parutive rest and
| realization OF social intermingling an enjoy
ment is drawing 10 close. With this month
the southern farmer ent ters upon the genuine
harvest time of the year, the time when the
most valuable crops OF the farm are to bc
der first, then cotton, peas, corn, potat oes
peanuts. cane, etc., will claim attention and
consume tlme-one after the other. until the
frOstS OF winter have set in. The fall season
| Is just as busy as the spring, and the work OF
gathering the crops calls for u continuation oi
the same ski and Judgment as were required
in their planting and cultivation. We always
preferred the fall season and It's characteristic
| work-always took The side Of "pOssesSiou'
In the discussion OF the Old question Of "thc
pursuit or possession of an object There Is
a peculiar satisfaction and pleasure In gather
ing in the golden ears of corn and the silver
locks Of cottOn-cOunLing the former by IVA,
gon loads" and the latter by bales Of five hun.
dred pounds each-a pleasure that Is unmin.
Certainty. The farmer has heretofore been
sowing seeds In labor and toll and sweat he
now Is to reap ~ the fruits of his labor and
enjoy the fruitiOn of his hopes.
| The farmer who cuItivates the improved
grasses has long ago had his hay harvest; but
the great majority of southern farmers rely
for hay on the self-sown summer grasses, the
blades from the cornield and pea vlnes-all
farmer to resolve now that every blade OF
grass, every stalk Of corn, every pea vine,
potato vine, etc, that can be made available
| for hay, shall be cured and stored away for
| future use. According to our observation
extending over period of nearly forty years
the great want Of the southern feeding econ
omy Is more hay, rather than more grain.
We could "do" with great deal less corn II
we had an abundance OF hay; not suciI hay
as we are constrained to use If we have to
buy western baled grass. but early cut crab
pea vines. etc. Let Ii be, then, the firm re-
solve To fill every available space with hay
| from the sources above named. Our views
| about fodder pulling have often been given
be no reasonable question about the value OF
| fodder made OF corn blades from the ordinary
| field crop. We never see any western hay
in our markets that will compare favorably
with good, we'll cured corn fodder.
| We aim to impress upon the southern far.
mer that 1t Is the part Of wisdom TO make his
own hay, by the consideration that he will
get better quality at an infinitely less lost,
and his horses anu mules, his cattle and his
sheep will "rise up and call him blessed
Now Is u good time as any TO commence rails
Ing hay at home by moving the grass now
ready. tor the scythe mower without the la.
Dor OF seeding. Then continue the good work
by sowing grass seeds In September and Octo-
ber-of which more hereafter.
We were speaking OF fodder pulling: by all
means pull fodder II you have not more prof.
table work for laborers 10 do, and at the same
time reliable and equally cheap substitute.
It doubtless Injuries the yield OF corn to some
extent to deprive the stalks Of the blade
sometimes more than the fodder is worth,
especially where the crop is on poor, old land.
But we are not prepared to advise farmers
all at once-to quit pulling fodder in the
good, odfIshioned way" We are confident,
however that II the labor consumed In pull.
the proper time, to sowing, cultivating and
harvesting crops expressly for the production
of dry forage, 1t would be far more profta.
Bile.
crop for forage that will not withstand the
winter, except, possibly, a patch of some
quick growing plant like cat-tail millet. Cow
peas Sown in August make very little vine
under the most favorable circumstances. 1t
Is doubtful If it would pay, except in the less
man ifest benefit to IN otherwise sun-eXposed
soil, on other than q rich soil.