Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1900-08-22
FARMERS SCHOOL.
The interest and Attendance Increasing
Potato Bugs and Other Pests.

CLEMSON COLLEGE, August IA
According to their custom, the farm
ers were up this morning with the
sun. Farmer Lewis had his hacks,
carriages and buggies ready and
took fifty or seventyfive of them
over the farm. They were delighted
beyond measure when they saw Mr..
Lewis fine bottom corn. DR.. Pres
cott, who is one Of the best farmers
in Edgcfeld county, says that it is
the best crop of corn he has ever
seen, and that if it were his he would
not take sevcnty-tive bushels per
acre for it. All agreed with him.
Many were disappointed at not
getting to go to the farm, but Mr..
Lewis had foresecn this difficulty
and had loads of fine melons ready
to entertain the disconsolate. Here
habit again asserted itself and many
took the melons out on the lovely
grass plats and seemed perfectly
satisfied.
Quite number of ladies are pres
cnt again thln morning. a more
earnest set of students were never
seen than is this body of Thoughtful
men. The number Of intelligent
questions they ask shows that they
are very much interested.
Col. II. w. Simpson, chairman of
the board of trustees, is on hand
this morning, as he always is when
there is anything concerning Glenn
son and the agricultural interests.
In addition to the distinguished
nonresident lecturers already men
toned, Col. ID. A. Thompkins, Of
Charlotte, and Col. ID. IL. Norris are
booked for lectures on Friday night.
Besides the large crowd in bar
racks, at tho hotel, and in private
homes, numbers Of visitors are COM
ing in from the surrounding country
and plcnicing on tho lovely grounds.
Col. Newman was in charge this
moruing and introduced Col. M. B.
Hardin, who lecturcd on fertilizers.
Col. Harden never attempts to tell
anything he doesn't know, and what
he says is always listened to eagerly.
He talked of direct and indirect fer
tilizcrs. Lime improves the texture
of the soil, making it more open, cx-
ccpt that it tends to make sandy soil
compact. 1t fits organic matter for
the use of the plant and removes
sourness from the soil, libcrating
potash. The saying that cline en-
riches the father and impoverishcs
the SON." is true unless other fertii-
zcrs are used.
"l.ime without manure
Will make both land and farmer
poor"
stable manure is valuable, though
poor IN fcrtilizing qualities, because
what qualities it has are easily avail
able. 1t looscns soil and enables it
to hold water.
Commercial fertilizers are neces-
sary to replace materials taken out
of soils by crops. Nitrogen phoa-
phoric acid and potash are the con
slitucnts. The lcguminous plants
take up the nitrogen which attach
themselves to the roots of the plants,
but giving in return nitrogen taken
from the air. Organic nitrogen
exists in animal and vegetable mat
ter, the per cent being high in dried
blood and cotton seed meal. Out of
81 cotton seed meals analysed here
twenty-five coming from tho up
country had 0 per cent ammonia.
Those coming from the lower part of
the State are low in ammonia. Col.
Hardin is very much interested in
this and hopes to get at the cause of
the difference.
Phosphoric acid does not escape
in the air, but becomes almost inso
ublc. Cotton seed meal helps to rem
der it available.
In buying fertilizers, if you want
potash, be sure that * 2 O is marked
on the sacks. Potash does not leach
out, and is therefore sometimes used
too much
The chemist can't help the farmer
much by analyz,ng soil, because the
soils are not uniform on one farm
even. Farmers should experiment
themselves. He invited the farmers
to the laboratories where he would
give them formulas for fertilizers to
be made at home
The people showed their interest
in this subject by the close attention
they gave the speaker.
Dir. A. p. Anderson came next on
"Insccticidcs and Spraying"