Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1899-08-19

place cannot fail to be impressed with
the wonderful work that has been ac-
complished.
Taking a birdseye view of the spot
as seen by the reporter from hillside
a few days ago, there are first the fish
ponds, or more properly speaking now,
the irrigation ponds. Immediately be-
low the first irrigation pond there is a
patch of rice of only about one-six-
teenth of an acre in extent. Then
comes two-acre garden, including
celery patch in which there are be-
tween sixteen and twenty thousand
plants, and after that there are 40
acres of corn which, Notwithstanding
the dry season, seem to promise, with
absolute certainty, a yield of not less
than 1900 bushels.
But it is only the garden that has
yet been made subject to irrigation.
The lower bottoms are level enough;
but the creek hardly furnishes sufi-
cient water. Mr.. Smith is still work.
ing on the problem presented here,
and in time, no doubt, will work it out.
But the irrigation arrangement for the
garden is little short of wonderful.
For instance, the edge of the celery
patch is fully 200 yards from the water
reservoir, and the rows are between
70 and 80 yards in length. The whole
system does not yet include single
iron pipe. But by means of a simple
ditch, cut from the fish pond along the
hillside, the water is brought all that
distance and so introduced into the
celery patch as to fill from end to end
a single furrow, not more than three
inches deep, without pouring a drop
over into the next row. The flow Of
water is controlled entirely by means
of dams of mud, thrown up or taken
down with the hands, and the whole
garden, or single row of it, may be
overflowed at will. - p. r..
As yet Mr.. Smith has not undertak-
en- to produce garden vegetables; ex.
cept celery, on a very large scale.
Last year and this year his tomato
patch was confined to bed of not
more than 80 by 60 feet. He had a
cabbage patch somewhat larger, and q
cucumber patch one-fourth the size.
Of the cucumber patch he sold $5
worth. Of the tomato patch he has
been averaging something like so cents
a day for two weeks or more, and off
the celery patch, of course, he expects
to clear more than would reasonably
be expected from Is or 20 acres of cot
ton. The entire patch, however, con-
sists of less than an acre. But along
these lines, Mr.. Smith is evidently just
beginning. His garden, as indicated,
may be extended over the entire bot
tom, and he is just the man to keep
pace with developing market, what
ever may be its requirements. -"
During his visit to Mr.. Smith, the
reporter, of course, had good dinner.
There was on the table more than q
a dozen different dishes Of well pre-
pared food, including meats, vegetables
and breads, rice, pies, etc. There was
a much greater variety than is often
seen even at city hotel, and every
thing in the list was raised on the
place, except black pepper, salt and
coffee. .... raH.
Speaking of rice, Mr.. Smith said
that he had only purchased a single
25 cents worth since 1890. He uses
it all the time and raises all he uses.
1t yields more to the acre, he
says, than any other crop he knows.
He only sows about ons-sixteenth of
an acre, and sows that only every 9TH
er year. With facilities for quick and
economical cleaning, he could easily
produce enough on his fifty acres to
supply the present consumption of
York county.
AS indicated at the outset, this story
is necessarily incomplete. 1t gives
good idea though what one man of re-
source and energy will accomplish
with advantages that are only sufi-
cient to make another man bewail the
hardness of his lot. 1t also furnishes
reasonable assurance that those so
acres will yet be the source of COM
Portable income to the man who has