The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1899-06-29
DRAINING OF SWAMP LANDS.
THE STA Tie FARMS.
The Crops Make II Good Appearance
and the Farms arc Well Managed.

The Crops Make II Good App earanc
and the Farms arc We'll Managed
The Columbia correspondent of tn,
News and Courier writes as follows
The State of South Carolina has al
immense farm in Korshaw and Sumte
. counties. Altogether the Reed ant
DeSaussure farms, before they became
known as State farms, contained l ,70i
and 1900 acres respectively. They are
almost ideal farms, rich in soil, oper
in area and level Ior this section of the
State. Years ago whom the State ha(
congestion Of convicts in the Peni
tentiary, and whom the General AS
sembly protested against the continu
ance of the use OF cOnvicts on railroad
and phosphate contracts, the prison
authorities had to cast about to find 6
place whore the cOnvicts could be used
to advantage. 1t was in this way that
the State came to buy these farms.
1t was to find out by actual observa
tion how the farms were operated
what work had 0een done, and what
II anything, was in the various reports
that had come to their attention that
the special Legislative committee,
charged with Investigating the affairs
of the Penitentiary, visited the State
farms. One might suppose coming to
the State farms was something of an
excursion, or intended to be. 10 get
up in the morning In time TO catch a
6.45 train may be fun for some folks !; it
may be delightful for some to spend
three hours at Kingsville to catch d
train going by the State farm it may
be the acme Of pleasure to ride from
the station to the farm in open wagons
in the broiling hot sun. and it may be
pleasurable to have no idea as to when
~ frn rot f,,
here, but such are the conditions
which those who came here today en-
cOuntered.
1t was, however, largely matter Of
observation. The committee had its
eyes, open, and took in the situation
as 1t went along the road. OF course
there was no time togo over the 700
acres Of cotton, or the Thousand acres
Of corn, or the $50 acres Of oats or so Of
wheat, but the mem bers could look to
the right or left, end see for acres on
all sides tlourishing crops, for it Is
certain that whatever the records may
show of the past there is a magnificent
farm here, that has been improved
up to high degree Of perfection, and
which Is now under O high state Of
cultivation.
There are really two farms, one
known as the noSaussure, which is
under Mr.. ". II. Gardner, and the
other as the Reed farm, under MIR.
jesse II. Morris. 1t is not question
for the committee or for this cores.
pondent to figure on the money. making
capacity Of such an extensive farm, but
Ii these farms do not make money thcy
ought to. Tho two farms together
are what might be called q 64.horse
farm, and there arc l35 convicts here
who do the work.
This force is supplemented with frce
labor, whenever 1t does not conflict
with the local farm interests. They
say over here that it is questionable
whether convict labor Is cheaper than
free labor. Foreman Magill says con
vict can be we'll fed for 10 or Is cents
day, and that seems to he cheap enough,
but they say the cost comes In the
clothing and the guard hire. The con-
tention is that free laborer on an
average makes only a living, and with
convicts the additional labor obtained
hardly makes up for the cost Of the
guards.
It will be interesting to watch the
developments of Capt. Gritith's &C
counts for he Is going to keep an exact
debt and credit account. The dircc-
tors say that last years farm operations
were not profitable, as it was bad
your, DuI IAS year DolOTO Glo larlnS
were quite p, otitable.
There are seventy odd convicts work
ing on the DeSaussure farm, and the
members Of the committee went out to
see them get their dinner. 1t was q
simple meal. but about as good as the
men were accustomed to-, II not better.
These mon have to be we'll fed to keep
up under this heat and do the expected
work.
The staff correspondent of The State,
who went with the Investigating COM
mittee, writes as follows in regard TO
the impression made by an inspection
Of the State farms:
The drive around the farms showed
us how great q plantation the State
of South Carolina is managing. The
general formation Of the two farms is
level, and the soil Is sandy. However,
AZ you near the bottoms Of the Wa
teree there Is an occasional ridge Of
red clay. Along the river banks the
soil Ia alluvial. A part OF this Is COM
posed Of clay mixed with sand and
mica. On such lands most magnificent
crops are raised without much trouble.
But Q great part OF the bottom land
Is OF clay VIII ich is of most Cbstin-
ate nature. In wet weather 1t is worry
moist, and In dry weather the soil has
the consistency of mortar and the
toughness OF brick.
This Is q wonderful sight--the bot
toms OF the Wateree. The State farm
Is here nearly q mile wide and about
two and half miles long. 1t Is all
one vast, level clearing. There arc no
Intervening hillocks or patches of tim
ber growth, but all Of this land is under
cultivation.
The ingenuity Of man has overcome,
to some degree at least, the flood OF
the river, and great dikes or dams
protect the crops. These dil1es com.
pletely surround the bottom lands,
which are oval in shape, and the dikes
were built at much labor and expense.
The lands which they encircie are
low and naturally moist and crops
planted In the early spring, are, as q
rule, unable to overcome the dampnesa
which comes up from the river, but
when corn or cotton is planted in May
, the vield ia Wonderful