The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1893-02-17

For the TINES.
Practical. Common Sense Reading for Union
County Farmers.
MR. EpiToR while the weather is to,
lad for work out doors by the Farmer, it is
good time for him to put ON his cap and
60 to thinking. The farmers of eur section
are peculiarly situated-difirrebt from that
Of any other section o: cur country, in that
We have the privilege Of pursuing any Of
the various branches Of farming, or d.versi-
fyng il according TO cur environments.
As the season is at hand for US to settle
our plans as to the crops we will raise this
year, il would be well to look at the condi-
iiops that exist now, compared with that Of
one year ago.
dou't think l have ever seen time. at
least not since the war, when our rural
poi u.ation were in m"re independent cir
Gums apces, resulting from the abundance
nnd cheapness Of provisions, all through
this section of our State. Corn can be
bought cheaper in the country than in mar
ket, and no doubt will be shipped from our
stations.
Bacon, alone, OF the necessities Of the
Farmer, is very high and will continue SO
this year, as reports from the West show
that hogs are very scarce, comparatively
Only AZ per cent. of the usual amount IS
put up by The packers. Bacon is now worth
113 in market, aud those who have to buy
will have freight and commission on that to
10Y. This should not he the case with any
mai Sko follows farming for a living; for,
by htSe plannir g and attention, all can
raise tn Sr own meat without an outlay of
money. Aud this should epply 10 every
2nReSSi1 Bat can be made OF raised at home
lot count our labor in the item of
ing supplies for our own use.
kWe'WS1he result will likely be as with
The old sun dial, when. after counting the
strokes of the pendulum it would have to
make for IL M nths, became appalled, and
stopped at once.
Our people have raised cotton since the
war at betrer prices than it is !iEely to bring
again, and when the sale was mere product
i've than now, without any prosperity or
material Improvement in their condition.
Most of 1t at the expense of home supplies,
which they counted could be bought cheaper
than raised and hero, it seems to me, the
calculations were wrong, from the failure to
carry the amount to balance.
We have reached just conclusion Of the
whole matter by experience, and wise will
we be 10 profit by il, and not fall into the
oil system Of all cotton again. l have OBJ
served in travelling over the c7tton telt that
in the best and most productive cpttOn
countries, the mass If the people are more
destitute and dependent, than in those less
productive, aud | ascribe it to their depcn-
dence on that crop, while in the latter, en-
tire dependence is not placed on it.
Again, there is great interest being de-
velopcd AMI matcrialized in cotton factor cs
three being under headway in our own
and in, 6
near the line in Spnrtauburg county. This
means a large expenditure of money for
labor and supplies TO feed the laborers and
their families.
They will require just such things rs we
ought t. be able TO furnish them, and will
he in easy reach, where we can +, adiy find
profitable sale for all our supplies and
then we get cash for our products and have
some money in circulation al the
time. And in view of this, let us begin
now, vi as suvn rs the ground dries will be
good time. If We have not done it before,
plant n god orchard Of fruit trees and
manure the old ones. Nothing pays better,
all round, than plenty of good fruit for the
family, which, if good selections are made,
may bc on the table for 8 months in the
year.
Also the garden should be made a little
larger aud manured better. and you will
find n handsome profit from your vegetables
if near q factory.
Then comes the dairy. To have milk and
butter requires care and preparation.
There is no better dairy country than this
Piedmont section of South Carolina. But
there must be grass as well rs cows, which
we can have simply for the setting. mean
The Burmuda, which is getting to be COM
mon here, and is easily set and permanent
furnishing more grazing than any known
grass. have seen it pastured for 20 years
and still it seems to get better, and it also
protects the lands from washing and leach
ing. l know Of no industry that would
Jay our farmers better than cooperative
dairying. Thus insuring profit and furnish
ing vast amount Of manure for The fields
1 wish that our farmers would set a reso-
luton that they will depend on no one to
support them, but that they intend TO fur
nish all the wants of our ccming population
and have some left 10 send to Iowa and
Illinois, il starvation comes on these States
believe that South Carolina has a bright
and grand future before her tha: the dawn
of this era is upon her. That the farmers
of our State can reap rich harvest in this
prosperity, if they ony will but they must
not sit still while the dawn is coming.
Farmer
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