The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1891-08-13
q Successful Agricultur1st Gives Some
Pointers.
s11r,, g ~ Arr


Editor The State: In the last few days
I have seen the crops along twenty-five
miles of the public roads through some
of the best farming sections of the
county and was struck with the good
corn and pea crops. Wherever corn
has been properly worked it is fine, and
even where very poorly cultivated, will
make a good yield. This is attributed
to the abundant rains that began about
the caring time, and have prevailed ever
since. It is safe to say that most farm
era who planted with any intention of
producing their breadstuffs at home, will
not be disappointed.
The cotton crop, where it has been
kept clean Of grass, is making fine
show in weed but the excessive rains in
most localities have caused it to shed its
forms and young fruit to an alarming
extent. 1t is noticeable, however, that
where deep. preparation and heavy
manuring prevailed, the loss from this
cause will be much less than on badly
prepared and lightly manured lands.
This is contrary to the usually accepted
theory among farmers, and is worthy of
careful study by them. With the uncer.
tain, inefficient and high priced labor
that most of them have to put up with,
it behooves them to radically reform the
old system of planting es much land as
can possibly be- worked under most IA
vorable conditions of.seasons and labor,
or as much as they can buy one, two, or
three hundred pounds of cheap CONNER
cial fertilizer per acre for. And, instead,
to plant only so much land as can be
properly worked during four days of
each week, allowing two days for rain and
the uncertainties OF labor. By adopting
this plan, and using all the spare time
for accumulating and applying home
made manures, crops would be produced
at from so to 60 per cent of their present
cost and the soil would rapidly improve
While have been working on this line
for several years and believing in and ad
vocating more intensive system of farm
lug, have never been ultra on the sub
ject; but from the present indications of
experiments made this ,yoar on pretty
large scale, I am convinced that the plan
crudely outlined above is the solution Of
cheap production.
On an eleven mule farm in this neigh
borhood where the above system has been
adopted to some extent, and where nearly
everything for home consumption has
been produced, FIVE hundred and sixty
(560) 500 pound bales of cotton were
made in the last four years; and I have
it from the manager of that farm that
the cost of putting that cotton on the
market was fraction less than five (5l
cents per pound, leaving clear profit of
four 4 cents, or twenty ($20.O0) dollars
per bale, at the average price of cotton
during the last four seasons. This cotton
was produced on two hundred acres.
This year on one hundred and ffty.two
acres with the homemade manure that
was usually put on hundred, and only
two and one-fourth ($2.25) dollars worth
of commercial fertilizer per acre, the
prospect is for one bale or more per acre,
with the soil in better condition for next
years crop than it ever was before.
Ihave written more than I intended to,
Mr.. Editor, but it is subject of vast mo.
ment to the farmers of the State, and
the sooner they are awakened to the i'm
portance of more business-llke methods
of farming the better it will be not only
for them, but for the prosperity of our
whole people. If they will plant from
one-half to two-thirds Of the present
area with proper diversity of crops,
and put the same manure, labor and at
tention to the smaller area that is now
given to the whole, not only will this be
protected largely from the strikes of la
Dor, but their crops will be better fortified
against extremes of seasons. Nor will
they be subjected to the Inconvenience,
and sometimes great loss, caused by the
vast fluctuations of prices, both in what
they buy and what they sell.
The farmers motto should be: "Plant
something evey month in the year; har-
vest some crop every month, even if
nothing but a crop of manure; and re-
member 'laying by time only as one of
the traditions of the past"
E. W. DABBs.