The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1899-05-25
THE ADVANTAGE OF PEAS

The remarks recently make by Mr..
Terry in regard to the advantages pos
sessed by the Southern farmer over his
Northern neighbor IN the diversity Of
crops that can be grown in a single
season are not whit exaggerated
The fact that clover does not as a Iule
thrive we'll in the South has been time
and again shown by Prof. Massey to
be far less of disadvantage than
would be supposed by the farmers of
the North, who would go South and
continue the same kind of cropping
they have been accustomed to at home.
In fact we have almost come TO the
conclusion that it is one of the mis-
takes of Southern agriculture to ever
SOW a clover seed south of VIII gina.
In our progress southwark just to the
extent that clover becomes more and
more uncertain and troublesome, the
cow pea increases IN value, until all
over the cotton belt it is the king of
forage and soil improving crops. Now
and then competitor appears only to
disappear after little while. Over
all Of them the COW pea has advan-
tages. Among its numerous varieties
| Cttil w loulll GllOSC SllICu 10 al
most any condition. No clover can
produce as much forage per acre on
the same quality of land, and no clover
will make better hay if properly cured.
No clover will make even an appear
ance in the space of time during which
the COW pea gets in its whole work.
No clover will gather from the air any
more. nitrogen than the cow pea. Then
why does the Southern farmer need
clover at all ? When he can get an
early crop like PEAS Canada pcas) and
oats OFF his land by the first Of June
and can then SOW crop Of peas and
gather another heavy crop Of hay in
time to prepare the land for crop of
winter grain, where is the need for
clover2 He has accomplished in two
short months all chat clover would do
for him in twelve months if it was a
success and he has done 1t with a ccr-
tainty that never attends his efforts to
grow clover.
Hence we are coming rapidly to the
conclusion that clover growing or at
tcmpts to grow clover should be aban-
dancd in the cotton belt, and the clover
Of the South be given full sway. We
must learn that the farming of one
section cannot be the best for all sec
tions, and that we must adapt our
methods to the crops that are the best
ones for the sections where we are
farming. Just as the fruit growers
going South soon realize that they can
not grow currants, gOosebcrrlcs, sweet
cherries or red raspberries there, while
they can grow other things that do not
thrive in the North, 80 the general
farmer must realize that he has left
some Of the farm crops behind him and
come among others better adapted to his
new conditions. Nearly all Northern
men going South to farm have pref iu-
dice against cotton and tobacco, and
resolve that they will not grow the
crops that have ruined the South.
Herein they make a great error. Cot
} ton and tobacco in It's many forms are
the money crops in the South, and nc
, farmer can afford to ignore the money
!: crop Of his section. The lmpoyerisk
ment Of Southern lands is not the fault
of these crops, for high farming can as
easily be done with cotton and tobacco
: as with any other staple crops. The
fault lies in the method and not IN the
crops, and there is just as much room
for improved farming and stock rails
, ing with tobacco and cotton as special
: ties as with any other crops.
The great need Of the South is
J specialization in farming as distinct
} from single cropping. Every farmer
| North Or South, should have specia
crop in his rotation, to the perfection
of which the whole rotation is arrang
ed, and to which ali the other crops
. grown arc in their turn subsidiary
though each giving some profit IN ts
place, and all tending to the building
J up of the land to the greater and NOR,
. economical production Of the specially
; For this kind Of farming the long sea
! sons of the South give the Southern
, farmer great advantage over hi
Northern brother, for his rccuperativ,
crop can come in during the same sea
son that he has taken off a grain crop
and prepares the land for another, ant
the moro frequent repetition of th,
rcnovating forage crop enables him t
sho,ten the rotation, and more rapidly
increase the productiveness Of his sol
for his spccialty.-Practical Farmer