The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1892-02-24
4 Successful Cotton ; Ger.
News and Courier.

Our neighbor, the Augusta Chronicle,
tells a story OF one of its neighbors, "a
successful farmer" which is full Of instruc-
ton and encouragement for farmers IN
South Carolina and all the cotton States.
The successful Georgia farmer IS James N.
Smith, OF Oglethrope County. who started
after the war, on the red hills near
Athens, without dollar and now cult
Yates one thousand five hundred acres,
with full hedged broad-gauge railroad
running to different parts oflis farm, and
everything about it IN keeping with thus
innovation.
The secret of Mr.. Smiths success-he
is Col. Smith now-is contained IL the
few words of advice he gives his fellow
agriculturists, ''to raise everything LOT
man and beast at home' His barns and
smoke houses are at home, and, whatever
may be the lamentations OF prices OF Da-
con and corn, etc, in Chicago and st.
Louis, he is safe and Independent. Col.
Smith is cotton farmer, like all the rest;
but only half Of his farm is planted IN
field crops for home consumption. This
plan, says Col. Smith, followed year by
year, is bound to be successful IN the long
run. His cotton is converted into ready
cash. and with an abundance OF corn,
wheat, oats and hay, as well as potatoes,
peas, cabbages, onions, etc, he feeds bis
wage hands and tenants, sells consider
able quantity, and still has enough to
feed his working stock, and his hogs and
cattle which afford him a further IL
come.
Among the details of his farming opera
tons, last year, It is mentioned, Colonel
Smith raised five thousand bushels OF
rust proof oats, which he sold for seed at
81 per bushel, after saving enough for hls
own and his tenants use. The average
yield was thirty bushels per acre. lie also
raised six thousand bushels OF wheat,
part Of which he sold for $].25 per bushel.
The rest be ground into -four, with which
his hands and tenants we're supplied. The
bran was fed to his live stock. Ee raised
one hundred and seventy-fye hogs, which
averaged one hundred and sixty-iVe
pounds net. He keeps herd OF SIX
hundred cattle, among them being a
number OF registered Holsteins. He is
now tattening sixty steers, which he Will
sell the latter part of March, and which
he thinks will average fifteen hundred
pounds gross. He milks seventy five COWS,
and after amply supplying his plantation
sells quantities Of milk and butter and
feeds quantities more to the hogs. Col.
Smith considers oats and wheat a profit
able crop when utilized as he utlllzes 1t
Aside from the value OF TIE grain, the
straw and bran are valuable for the stock.
Cotton seed hulls and meal in proper
proportion, he thinks are ''the best food
for CATTLE" so there isnoezcuse but lgnor-
ance or improvidence for any cotton far
mer failing to raise cattle proftably.
Col. Smith admits that farmers In the
South are not very successful, as rule,
but this in most cases is their own fault.
He advises them 'to raise everything for
man and beast at home,' to live within
their income and abandon the credit sys-
tem," and all Will go well. If they raise
their own supplies they may not handle
so much money, but they will keep more
of what they handle and be better off II
the end.
This is the testimony Of a man who
plants only half a crop OF cotton, and has
made an immense fortune by that plan
Farmers who are hesitating about cutting
down their crops one-6fth may learn WIS
dom and gather encouragement from hls
success.