The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1896-05-13
auaerspu gnteIItgeusss.
POSSIBILITIES OF AN ACRE.
One of York County's Foremost Farmers
Believes There is No Limit.
Yorkville ENQUIRER.

question that gives the average farmer
but little concern. AS a rule, he fig
ures that land is cheap, and the guam
tity Of produce that a be raised on
an acre is a small matter. Rather
than increase the productiveness of an
acre, he prefers to increase the num-
Der Of acres. That this, however, is q
losing game, all of the more advanced
farmers are now fully satisfied, and
probably no man in this county or
even in the State, has made more
Roadway in this direction than Major
a. h. White, of Rock Hill.
A representative of The Enquirer
went to see Major White recently for
the express purpose of getting some
reliable information on this interesting
subject. The major was at home. 1t
developed that this very matter is the
hobby of his life, and during a pleas
ant drive over a we'll arranged farm,
that was at the time being carefully
prepared for various crops, the news
paper nan was treated to some pearls
of experience that are we'll worth the
careful study of all farmers who may
not have given the subjects dis
cussed the same amount Of study on
their own responsibility.
"What was the most profitable crop
you ever raised, MAORI was one Of
the questions asked.
"An oat crop, in 1884, was the
unhesitating reply. "It was on afeld
of sixteen acres. I followed an oat
crop in 1882 with peas. In 1888 |
planted cotton, and at the last plow-
Ing of the cotton, during the second
week in August, | sowed oats. On
the sixteen acres | made 1,012 bushels
of oats, for which I received IS cents
a bushel, and it was all profit. I sold
one-half of the straw for enough to
pay all expenses. Exclusive of the
other half of the straw, which was
clear, my profits amounted to $47.23
an acre. That was about the most
profitable crop I ever made"
Snow, I would like you to tell me
about your big cotton crop of 1884,"
"That is rather an old story. 1t
has already been printed once or twice.
| The CROP was twenty-five bales on
twelve acres. The land was in good
fix to start with. In fact it is my
rule to see to it that my land is in
better fix when a crop comes off than
when the crop went on. That year,
the only fertilizer | used was three
two-horse loads of stable manure to
the acre. The bales averaged 46O
pounds, and I sold the cotton some at
81 and some at 9 cents. A careful
calculation Of all expenses, exclusive
of interest on land, stock, tools, etc.,
| developed that the cost of the crop
will not exceed % cents a pound. l
made no estimate, of course, as to the
value of the fertilizers in the soil
when I commenced, but as is my in.
variable rule, I estimated the value OF
the seed planted at so cents a bushel.'
"Isn't so cents a bushcl rather high
| for cotton seed?"
'That is what mine are worth, and
if I can't get it I don't sell them"
"You must have a fine variety OF
seed. What is it?" =,
II call my seed Whites Improved,
and I think they are as fine as any
| other variety known. l have been
working on them for more than a dozen
years. I make it a rule to go out into
the cotton field every fall, when the
crop is at its very best, select with
the greatest care and pick enough cot,
ton to yield two bushels of seed.
These / always plant on a separate
| acre, and the next year select from it.
I started originally with what was
known as Thomas seed, but they are
now very much improved
In answer to another question on
the same line, Major White said that
he did the same thing with corn. He
has two varieties, M white and the
other yellow. The white variety is
| from an ear that was sent to him by a
friend in 1877. He has been improv-
ing it every year. It is his custom
to select the top ear from stalks hav-
ing two good, healthy ears, plant the
select corn on a separate acre, and
then plant the main crop from seed off
that acre. It has been improved to
such a point that 100 pounds on the
cob will net 80 pounds Of shelled corn
and the grain averages 63 pounds to
the bushel, struck measure. The
standard weight of a bushel, it will be
remembered, is Sc pounds. The next
inquiry Of Major White was intended
to bring out his views with regard to
fertilizers.
81 believei in CONGRATULATIONS,
said Major White, unhesitatingly,
land I believe that the highest priced
goods are the cheapest; but my ex-
perience in this direction is not worth
a great deal. I fertilize mostly with
stable manure and cotton seed. Cot
ton seed is always a good investment.
No matter how much you use, you
will find it profitable; but you can't
tell exactly how much they are worth.
1t takes something like three years
before you can get all there's in them,
though they will pay wen the first
year. However, with me, stable ma
nure ranks ahead Of anything else.
I buy all I can get at 81 a load, about
a tor to the load. It will do for any
kind Of a crop and invariably makes
the land better. In my opinion it is
the very best fertilizer known, as
we'll as the cheapest. Like cotton
seed, it is complete in itself, and
when you mix the two, you have a
very near approach to perfection
CHOW, major, just n more ques-
ton. In your opinion, how much
cotton is it possible to grow on an
acre?"
Major White grew still more inter-
ested in the conversation. The sub
ject was one to which he had evident
ly given a great deal of careful thought,
and the facts and figures were ready
on the tip Of his tongue.
"That is a matter about which we
can only speculate he began. "No
man can tell the possibilities of an
acre. Take York county over, for in
stance, and the average is about a
third Of a bale to the acre. My crop
of 1894 was six times that. If it is
-o,,;b1o ~ oo CIV t;moc oror tho ovar.