Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1899-03-23
MONEY IN FARMING.
Improving WOrn-Out Land-GrOwinS
Cotton for Less Than Three Cents.

The farmers of North Carolina are
entering a new era. For years many
of them have longed and waited for
the restoration of high prices, now a
thing of the past. Cotton, ono Of the
main crops, will mover 60 much above
g cents. 1t is down to stay. There
fore, the problem before the farmers
of this section is not how to raise the
prices, but how to grow the crop the
cheapest. If, as Mr.. d. A. Tomp-
kins advocates, the farmers can form
companies, grow, gin, and manufac-
tnre 3heir own cotton and cotton
seed into Snished products, ready for
any market, then they will realize
the highest price possible for cotton.
No doubt, in days to come, there will
be a cotton mill and cotton seed oil
mill combined with every cotton gin
in every community where several
hundred bales Of cotton are grown.
If such were the case to-day, it would
be well for the farmers. However,
in the meantime, the farmers must
go on and make the best of their cot
ton as handled now. The cheaper it
is grown and prepared for the mar
Eot the more profit there is in it for
the producer. The old system of
buying supplies to make cotton with
is out of date. The more stuff a
farmer makes, the better it is for him.
So much has been said in the pa
pers about the 2-97 cent cotton raised
by Mr.. e. w. Brawley, on his farm
near Mooresville, that Mr.. Caldwell,
of the Observer, suggested that I go
and look into Mr.. Brawley's methods.
This did few days ago.
Mr.. Brawley is young man, a son
of Mr.. d. G. Brawley, one of Iredell
county's most successful farmers and
substantial citizens. In June, of
1894, Mr.. l.. w. .Brawley graduated
from the University of North Caro-
lima with honors. The writer had
the good fortune to know him init
mately while there. His aims and
efforts in college were toward secur-
ing a first-rate English education.
Though he took no special course
preparatory to farming, he never for
once gave up the desire of his boy
hood. TO be successful farmer
was the height of his ambition. After
leaving the university he spent several
months travelling abroad on a tour of
observation. He is a very methodi-
cal, pains taking worker. He keeps
accurate accounts of his work. His
books are as essential to him as the
books of n manufacturing concern
are to the mill. lie is his own book
keeper.
When he buys piece of land, he
opens an account with it and charges
it with all that goes on it and credits
it with all that comes off. In look
ing over the accounts of one farm I
saw a credit Of IL rails that were
taken to another farm. In riding
over the farms | was struck with the
neat and healthy look Of the land.
The edges of every field were shaped
and cleaned. 1t was evident from
the appearance of the soil that it is
growing more fertile year by year.
On most farms quite the reverse is
true. Mr.. Brawley buys most Of his
land in rundown condition for
cash, and builds it up. Three years
ago l rode over his farms with him.
At that time he had just bought
several worn-out farms. rcmem-
Der one in particular as being badly
washed and cut in sections by gull
lies. | hardly knew that farm when
there the other day. The thin places
have fattencd and the gullies have
been filed and the land levelled. TO
begin with, the gullies were filled in,
the fields plowed deep with two
horse plow, and peas sown with
few hundred pounds of commercial
fertilizer per acre. Mr.. Brawley's
method of improving land is after
this fashion lie takes the poor land,
so"s it in rye, with 200 pounds of
guano and ton of lime per acre.
The lime is put on in the winter.
In the spring the rye is turned under.
The lime keeps it from souring.
After the rye, COW peas are sown
with 400 pounds of aoid and potash
per aore, The peas arc moved and
the land 10 sowcd in wheat and clover,
with 200 or 800 pounds of acid and
potash. This gets the land on it's
feet again, as it were. From this
stage the land is improved moro and
more by rotation of crops. Mr..
l:raWley's system of rotation is now
under test. SO far he likes It, 1t is
a.