The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-03-23
For the INTELLIGENcEE.
Diversified Farming.

Diversifying crops, under iudicious
system of rotation, is subject that ought
claim much larger share Of attention
from Southern farmers than it does.
That we in the South are welded too
much to one kind of crop goes without
saying Until we get divorced from it
and turn attention to other necessary and
paying products. we will never be the in
dependent and prosperous people we
ought to be. BY diversifying crops, of
course we mean the cultivation OF all
kinds of profitable farm products, with
their alienation upon different plats of
ground In this category we may place
corn, wheat, oats, rye. barley. peas, pota-
toes, sorghum, and even king cotton.
Besides these field crops, every farmer
should have good garden, growing all
kinds of vegetables needed for family
use, and some to spare for market. How
often is it that many do not have gar
den worth the name. They live on bread
and meat, much OF which comes from a
distance, and often at high figures. Be-
cause this is naturally cotton country it
does not follow that we are to neglect
other things of as much, or more, value
Many other crops will do and pay as we'll,
or better, in our climate than cents cot
ton. Some of the benefits and advant-
ages Of diyersifying crops may be now
mentioned. And first. by this system
our lands do not become exhausted of
anv enc element of fertilization. All
plants vary in their elective capacity to
obtain nourishment from the soil, and it
continued for time On the same plat of
ground they exhaust it Of the clements
upon which they chiefly feed. In this
case change of plants becomes neces-
sarv. In many instances also one kind
of crop prepares the way and is helpfulto
another kind. This is true of peas, rye,
clover, and even cotton. 1t is well
known that corn, wheat and oats do we'll
after cotton. This may be due partly to
the land being clean, but no doubt large
| ly to the cotton, in it's growth, leaving
the elements needed by the grain crop in
the soil. Peas obtain much Of their nj
trogen from the atmosphere, and thereby
help to furnish this element to the sue
ceeding crop. Besides, this land run e1-
clusively in one kind of crop for several
years, especially in what we call clean
crops, is deprived Of vegetable matter 30
much needed to create humus, and there
by rendered them more unproductive.
Again, by diversifyipg our crops, we can
have something coming in the year
round, either for home consumption or
for the market. A rye or barley crop, for
instance, comes III we'll in the spring, and
80 of wheat in the summer, when bread
is needed, cash is scarce and credit pretty
we'll exhausted. The farmer who de-
pepds upon one or two kinds of products
only will often find himself in straitened
circumstances. He may be compelled to
run up large supply account that may
absorb all his hardly earned cotton. But
with constantly maturing crops be can
easily bridge over many hard place,
and hold on to his fleecy staple for other
uses A diversity of crops gives also
profitable employme the year round.
This is an itom of much Importance to
those hiring wage bands. When only
few kinds Of crops are grown much
valuable time is either wasted or only
nominallv employed. In cultlvatins
and gathering simply crop OF corn and
cotton not more than six or seven months
of the year are PIT in. y freedman the
other day said the first of March was
time enough for him to begin to work,
and ,ha he made as good crops rs any
BODY. Wen, no douh; his entire crop
consisted chiefly OF cctton and few
acres of yellow, grassy corn. with now
and then pitinl looking pea vine.
Diversity IS also q safeguard against
un:avorab!e seasons. 1t is rare in this
country 30 be blessed with favorable
seasons for all kinds Of crops in the same
wear. sNOtllt.liiics SI.iit ~ ~'e 'ii' ~ '"''S
others DO well. Last year. in many sec
tions, peas, Pea vines. oats. hay and po-
tatoes we're complete failure. while the
corn. wheat and cotton crops did well.
Where. therefore, there is a diversity OF
products and some fail, others succeed
ing will -upply their places and possibly
prevent suffering. It is furthermore be-
lieyed that if diversified farming was
practiced more in this country it would
lend charm to farm life that it does not
now possess, on the all cotton plan. 1t is
no wonder that our young men. reared
on the farm. seek ether vocations. II is
all cotton. Cotton preparation ofground,
cotton hoeing. plowing, picking, ginning.
haulin. to market. and All for the pitifnl
sum OF s. for hundred pounds Of tie
break back stuff. There is no charm il
i.-na variety-nothing inducing toan
aspiring young mar Yea, old me: get
ljred of the annual routiue-the almost
disgusting monotony Variety is said
70 be the spice of life. If 80. farming in
this country needs 10 have a good deal OF
spice put into it to make it go down
we'll. The writer. understand, is not to-
tally opposed to cotton, for It's good in
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