The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1896-11-11
Comments Oh Farmers Institute at
Anderson.

EDITOR ANDERSON INTELllGENCER:
If political speaking had been annouu-
cad at Anderson instead Of an Institute
the OPERA House would not have held
half the crowd; but, however, as 1t was
there was a good turnout OF the best
farmers in the County, which should en-
courage this very important work IN the
State, The importance of such farmers
meetings are just now beginning TO at-
tract the attention they deserve.
By far the most interesting subject OF
direct interest to farmers at present was
the subject of feeding cattle, by Prot.
Hart. although the other subjects dis
coursed were interesting in their line.
When Prof. Hart made the statement
THAI our corn stalks that one allowed to
90 to wsste-either rot or burned on tho
ground-contain double the feed value
and consequently worth to the farmer
double the price Of cotton seed hulls, ton
for ton, there was sort Of commotlon
among the farmers present. They were
seen to gaze in doubt at each other for a
while, when one man said to Prof Hart
that it would stake two of us common
farmers to believe this statement" a
regular routine of questions and answers
followed, which were of more direct IN
terest and value to the farmers OF Ander-
son County than all the campaign speech
es made in the last year.
The discussions brought to light the
fact that nearly every farmer that came
to the oil mills for ton of cotton seed
hulls left at home in his fields from five
to ten tons of stalks to waste, that was
worth from twenty to one hundred times
as much for feeding as the ton Of bulls
was worth, but in order to utilize these
stalks We must not wait until they are
dried out in the field from the effects of
sunshine, wind, rain and frost, but we
must cut it down, ear and all, and stack
IL in the field to cure there, just at the
proper time when the fodder is ready to
pull. Before feeding the ears can be TAX
en- off by hand and the stalk and shuck
cut fine in cutting knife, or run through
one Of the improved shredding machines,
which tears the stalk into fine particle or
shreds and st the same time shucks the
corn. No doubt some farmers are ready
to say that he has not the time nor mon,
ey to spare to prepare these stalks snd
snd pay for the cutting machine, but If
he will take the price Of TWO tons Of hulls
and buy small machine he will find that
he can cut up and prepare at least one or
two tons of stalks while he would be
hauling one ton of hulls home, and the
larger farmers, of course, would need
larger machines to run by power which
would cost more, in proportion to amount
amount of work required. This plan of
cutting down the corn stalks, with corn,
fodder and all together, is a cheap aLu
quick way of harvesting g corn crop, and
it clears tho land OF an Objectionable rub
bish that is considerable hlndrance to
the preparation of the land for the next
crop-it also removed the standing corn
off the land just at the right time to get
the sunshine on the Cow Pea crop, that
should always be sown among the stand
ing corn at the last ploughing. This is
courage. It will be 8 beautiful sight to
see ali the stalk fields clear and clear of
the unsightly rubbish, which will be re-
placed By more and finer stock, and
swoo' Ie, clean and we'll ploughed fields.
| This whole corn corn stalk question may
seem little on the visionary order to
many of our best farmers at first. but
little time and experience in this 1ine-as
| in many more of the more recently I'M
proved methods of farming and utilizing
| the products Of the farm-will be con-
vinced of the truth Of the now, seeming
extravagant claims of this new idea.
have to be very old to recall the day when
wheat bran was not considered worth
hauling home from the mill, and cotton
seed was nuisance about the gin and
| farm. But applied science has made
| them worth as much to the Southern
| farmers to-day, bushel for bushel, as oats
or corn is worth to our Western farmers.
! For considerable time after the meal
and oil of the cotton seed was made val
liable, the hulls was burned for fuel un-
der the boilers and used for bedding un-
| der the animals and now they are selling
from 81 to S5 per ton, and but a few years
will pass before baled shredded stalks
may be q common thing on our markets.
If Clemson College can succeed in plant
| ing this one new idea into the regular
system OF farming in this State she will
have repaid or refunded to the State ten
| fold every dollar that has been spent there
| in supporting this institution, This is
educating the farmers themselves through
these farmers institutes, while their sons
| may also be educated in the science ofag-
ricultuIe at the College.
The current questions of political econ
omy, such as the tariff and currency, and
such is no doubt of considerable impor-
tance to every farmer, but these are OF
small moment to the magnitude of i'm
provements now going on in the interest
of agriculture in the great South and We
look forward to the not far distant future
when these Farmers Institutes cannot
be held in any common building for the
want Of more room.
J. G. STRIBLING.