The Advocate and news., 1899-02-01
FARFAIN0 IN SOUTH CAROLINA,
BY H. L. Burnell, Greenville, 8. O.

The Objectors to dogmatic theology
urge that 1t has very little foundation in
reason. Something of this sort might
appropriately be said Of the farming
methods in vogue in South Carolina. The
old phrase cotton is king seems to have
lost none of its royal potency by the
lapse Of years. Wherever one travels
in the country here, the mOnotonOus i'm
preston Of cotton, cotton everywhere,
comes home to him. 1t has not yet
daWned upon the minds of the majority
of farmers in this State that there Is a
possibility of proftably Cultivating a
crop other than this sO-called kingly
staple, The natural result is that the
cotton crop now has reached that de-
generate stage when, as the local phrase
is, ut does not pay mule feed"
There seems to be very little attempt
here to make farm homes inviting. The
fences, when there are any, are not kept
in good repair. The fields are often
washed out by the rains into deep gull
lies. The country roads during the win
ter season, when rain is the order Of the
day. become nearly impossible, remind
ing one OF the verse Of the Arkansas wit,
which runs something like this:
"The roads are impossible,
Not even jackassable,
And those who would travel them
Should turn out and gravel them"
This, however, is precisely what the
people here will not do. To turn out
and gravel them" would mean, If un-
derstand their view correctly, useless
waste of labor. They prefer to plow
through the mud, with the ever-patient
and seldom well-fed mule or to take to
the side Of the road on a little path some
times made for the purpose, on horse
back, and II the mud gets too deep, they
waive the pleasure Of discussing Curb
stone politics in town and sit in rumi-
nant and tObaccO-consUming mood by
the open family hearthstone. The dec
orative character of whitewash is much
in evidence and the Corn-cOb pipe, six
shooter and double-barreled shotgun
seem to be the favOrite family bric-a-
brac. 1t has even been suggested, rec
Ognizing the perforative as we'll as dec
Orative character of the .six-shoOter, that
1t may be necessary to pass law in this
and other Of the Southern States abOl-
ishing the hip pocket. What appears to
be an innocent and convenient recepta-
Gle in the North has grown here in the
South to be dreaded because it usually
conceals the ever-present pistol which
on the wink Of an eye, the curl Of lip,
or the speaking Of an unguarded word,
may flash swift death to its victim. That
the progress Of civilization would be ad-
vanCed by the abolition of the hip pocket
is suggested by the fact that there were
thirteen murder cases on the docket at
the last session of court here in Green
vile.
These facts are mentioned as shedding
a clearer light upon the social conditions
of the country and also as explaining
to some degree the condition of the
farms and farm buildings, for social
conditions often shape conduct and help
to account for what otherwise might be
misunderstood.
One Of the chief needs of the farming
communities in this State, as has already
been intimated, is road improvement In
the proper sense of the term, there is
scarcely such thing as a good depend
able road anywhere hereabouts. Even
in the towns and cities the streets and
sidewalks show marked want OF skilled
supervision.
The tax on the farmer because of bad
roads, il brought home to him in actual
cold RVureS .yVou1d M do,Nhk ae&orSet