The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-10-07
Every Fourth Row in Corn.

To the Editor of The Ne'Us and Courier
Heartily in favor as am of the proposed
reduction of the area of cotton cultivation,
I see some difficulties In the way that
have rot been suggested. To cut down
the cotton crop 10 ten or twelve acres to
the plough would be to reduce that crop
by fully one-half and necessitate the
planting of the remaining land either in
corn or small grain, fencing it in pastures
or allowing it to 60 out of cultivation.
Doubtless the latter plan would prove a
blessing to thousands of acres now cultl-
waited, which are too poor to pay for the
work. Yet as the tax collector will come
around, and store accounts and interest
on mortgages must be paid, it would not
be convenient in every instance.
It is q we'll established fact that negroes
do q very large share of the farm labor In
this and other cotton States, and it Is as
we'll known that rs corn, wheat and oat
farmer the negro is rot dazzling success.
The negro can and does make the most
Of the cotton, but, the negro does not,
and apparently cannot, make grain.
Therefore, if the one half of our present
cotton area was planted in grain and de-
pended on negro labor for cultivation it
would almost certainly prove more un-
productive than at present.
To cut down the area in cotton to the
plough and not attempt to SOW the re-
mainder in grain, and at the same time
to keep our farms in profitable cultivation,
would require an immense increase in the
laboring population, as it Is clear that it
would take twice as many ploughs and
plough hands to work given area in
crops of say twelve or fifteen acres, as In
crops of twenty four to thirty acres and
the additional expense would, In case OF
failure from bad seasons, for instance,
prove disastrous. This brings me to the
suggestion have to make.
Two years ago I was conversing with
a Mr.. Turpin, member of Congress from
one of the western districts of Alabama,
who, by the way, was unseated directly
after by Tom Reeds Congress, then in
Washington. Knowing him to be large
planter in bis section, I asked him how
he did about corn for his hands and stock.
He replied that, up to theSlast six or sew
on years, he had annually spent large
part of the profits Of bis cotton crop for
corn for stock and meal for hands. Then
he cropped on the share system, and,
having to furnish feed for the stock, and
to buy it, he found it a very poor pay.
ing business. That the negroes would
not make corn when planted In separate
fields or patches, but he had noticed that
when a stray stalk came up among the
cotton and was allowed to stand, 1t always
grew we'll. So he positively forbade the
planting by his croppers of any separate
corn fields, and forced the planting OF
every fourth row of land prepared and
fertilized for cotton in corn. This was
worked exactly as if all planted in cotton,
and the result was that, since the adoption
of this simple regulation, he had not
bought a grain of corn on either Of his
three large plantations.
The plan is simple, easily understood
and easily followed, and strikes me as
being the very best and most practicable
that have ever heard Of to reduce the
cotton area and increase and secure the
yield Of corn. He told me that he plant
ed the corn at the same time and worked
it with the same tools and in the same
way as his cotton hoeing and ploughing
it through and through, and the yield
every year was not only satisfactory, but
surprising, and that as q matter OF fact it
had not reduced the yield of cotton by
one-fourth, as the corn rows gave venti-
lation to and chance to spread to the cot
ton rows adjoining. I intend adopting or
trying this plan in the future, and recon-
mend it to the serious consideration OF
my brother farmers.
w. r. DAvIB.