Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1890-01-23

,4$p. i he LlNtCftcuW IHFtCNtWtSt iluS
awarded the prize of $500 for "thc
largest crop of corn grown on one
2 acre in 1889" in the United States,
\ to Mr.. u. j. Drake, of Marlboro
county, in this State, who made
nearly 255 bushels. This is declared
to be "thc most phenomenal yield of
corn ever produced in America" be-
ing nearly double the largest au-
thenticatcd crop ever grown on one
acre. The fact that it was produced
in South Carolina will doubtless
strike great many people in other
parts of our great and diversified
country as remarkable as the mar
vclous yield itself.
But what Mr.. Drake has done in
Marlboro county, can be equally MS
well done, under like conditions, in
Oconcc county, or any other part of
our State. In another column will
be found a brief statement of the
mode of cultivation, also the cdi-
torial from the ImcricaN Iyricu-
ttn'ist, giving an interesting view Of
the matter.
When we consider that the pur-
pose of the experiment was simply
to force the largest possible produc-
tion from one acre in one year, no
account need be taken Of the fact
that the corn produced did not pay
the cost of production by some S73.
1t is estimated, though even on this
score, that the land "is good for a
hundred dollar crop for several years
to come" without any more fcrtiliza-
ton, so that tho apparent loss will
be made good in one more crop.
The great value of the experiment,
however, lies in the important lesson
it has taught. 1t has been demon
strated, beyond all question, that
the Intensive system Of farming can
bemade a success, and that more
4 can be grown to the acre here in
S South Carolina than has heretofore
been believed could be done any
where in America. This experiment
has furnished a practicable basis
from which the intelligent farmers
Of our State ought to devise n sys-
TEN of intensive farming that will
make the corn crop far more pro
titabc than heretofore. While we
do not expect anything like such
large yields rs Mr.. brakes, us an
average crop, yet a large increase
over the present average is certainly
practicable rs well aS desirable.
The price OF No. , Western corn
in Chicago last week was 20 cents
n bushcl. The price of No. 3 was
much lower, says the Chicago 7ri-
b0ic, and at this low nricc ncttcd
the Kansas shipper less than 6 cents
per bushc, switch included the
profit Gf any made on the transac-
ton by the Kansas merchant, with
the cost Of hauling from the farm to
the depot" "rhcre are plenty of
other cases." the Irib,inc adds, Gin
which about II cents is all that can
be RENTED to the buyer at the
country depot West of the Missouri"
The value Of Mr.. brakes corn, in
the nearest market, is placed at rs
cents Il buShcl, which is nearly three
times rs much as the price paid in
Chicago on the same day, and more
than six times us much as the price
paid to the Kansas farmer on the
same day.
Such great difference in price, in
favor OF the Carolina farmer, ought
to stimulate him not only to raise all
the corn he needs himself, but also
to supply the Southern market. And
by careful cultivation Of his crop,
according to the intensive system,
he can easily do both.
The Charleston Ncw% uud ro,h
ric', in closing strong editorial on
the prize acre, truly says: The con
clusion Of the whole matter is, how
ever, that Mr.. Drake has simply
demonstrated again, what was known
before, that South Carolina has The
best land under the sun for intcli
gent Farming purposes, and if the
right use is made OF the lesson he
has taught anew, il will become, be-
fore many years, the richest agricul-
tural State in the Union.