The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1898-07-02
MECKLENBURG COUNTY WHEAT.
History OF Mr.. Oliyer's $50 Acres---He
Finds that the Same Land that He has
in the Past Raised Cotton on Pays
Far Better il Wheat.
WWn,lngt0n Star.

IFNmington Star.
The New York Journal Of Com
merce and Commercial Bulletin of
Tuesday contains and interesting let
! Ter from Mr.. Fred Oliver, Of Char
lotte, Oh tue subject of whoat culture,
showing what had been done Oil his
farm in Mccklenburg county in the
way of craving wheat Tie letter is
| written in reply to an editorial which
had appeared i'll the Journal OF Com
merce and Commercial Bulletin, warn
ing Southern farmers against rushing
into wheat growing as a substitute ior
cotton, with the expectation of getting
high prices and masking money. -.
| One of the reasons given was that
Southern farmers could not compete
with the farmers Of the best wheat
growing sections Of the Northwest.
This is & feature of the editorial to
answer which the letter is mainly in
tended. AS it tells of what has been
actually accomplished Oh a North Gar.
olira farm we produce it as matter OF
public interest and an object lesson to
| other farmers. It reads:
"Sir: Your editorial entitled South
ern Cotton, Corn and Wheat pub
lished Wednesday, March 3oth, con-
| tains several statements that believe
| can anG will be proven incorrect.
| First, you claim wheat cannot be
grown South in competit ion with tn
productive wheat fields in Minnesota
and the Dakolas. Seond, that the
present incentive 10 grow wheat South,
viz: presen; high price, will not con-
tinue, or at least is not likely to con-
tinue very long. In answer 10 the
| first will state the writer has charge OF
25O acres Of land, on which, for the
! past five years, cotton has been cultl-
ya!ed on 200 acres, raising from three
quarters to one bale per acre; l73 bales
of 500 pouads each having been pro,
dacd last season from 200 acres OF
land. The balance OF the ?acd was j.
colr, fifty acres, producing twenty
Eve bushels per acre. To produce
| bale Of cotton per acre requires fer
tilizing very heavily, about $40 worth
per sore To produce cotton, only one
crop per year can be grown, and the
expense for labor to cultivate, pick,
| Gin and market is st least two times as
| great as it is to cultivate and harvest
a crop of wheat
eff wheat is grown the same land
! will produce another crop the same
year of any of the following: corn,.
cow peas, Irish and sweet potatoes:
and peanuts, and these crops can be
harvested in ample time to piow and
SOW the land in wheat again the same
fall, and continuation Of a crop OF
| wheat and one Of any of the above
named crops can be grown each year
on each acre for an Indefinite period OF
time.
eff the same amount of fertilizer
| per year be used on the two crops as
is necessary to grow a bale OF cottoH
per acre, you can produce erep OF
wheat equal TO, if not a better yield
| per acre than can be pred1ced on the
world famed Ninnesesa and Dakota
farms, and second crop of any Of the
| before mentionedspsaducts will bring
enough cash pay all expenses Of
growingahetwo crops, leaving the
WheateSSp as the net profit.
I sWne whole 250 acres Of land men-
Iiipned is now in winter wheat, and as
y ZOO acres were last season in cotton,
1.-The wheat was very late in being
sown. Fertilizer to the amount Of 50
Der acre was used and drilled in with
the wheat. The present condition Of
this $50 acres is The wonder Of the
! whole farming element of this country,
and the present estimates of the yield
Der acre, provided there is 70 dlsas-
| trous weather, is from 80 to 80 bushels;
probably 40 bushels vii! be harvested
on the avearage.
"This wheat crop will produce at
least two tons OF straw per acre,
which will bring SIS to So per ton.
"The wheat will be followed by q
| crop of cow peas to make COW pea
hay, and by the use of S. worth Of
| fertilizer per acre, at least three tons
Of hay can be gathered, which will
| sell from S12 so to S25 per ton.
"There will be raised on each acre
| 40 bushels of wheat at 81 per bushel,
ls4O; 2 tons straw, $40; 3 tons COW
| pes hay, SS5; total, SS5; expense OF
fertilizer, $40 per acre for the two
crops, same as to raise bale of c>tton
that may bring Sc. per pound, or S2o,
or perhaps only &c. or $50, and per-
haps at most, Sc. Or $40. The two
crops Of wheat and COW peas hay can
be grown, harvested and sold at no
| greater experse than necessary to raise
| a bale of cotton per acre.
GAS to the price wheat will bring,
the South certainly has The best chance
10 get the top of the market. Why!
Because auy shortage will usually
make prices higher tor May, June and
July than for August and September
and October. The condition this year
will be on an average the condition
every year and the greatest scarcity
| from previous crops will make highest
| prices during May, June and July, the
| three months that the Southern wheat
can he placed on the market. The
| lowest prices will generally be III
| August, September and October, when
! Northern wheat comes on the market,
! unless it is shown during these months
that the worlds harvest is short, IN
which case August, September and
| October would be big her months than
May, June and July preceding, but the
ESouth would be the gamer in the end
as the new crop woald be sold at still
niger prices on account of the shortage
develop ed in the crop previously har-
vested.
81 claim the Southerh States will in
the future be able to not only raise all
the wheat they need, but become sell