The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1902-01-03

yield a satisfactory ,r'p after years ol
cultivation haye sapped its vitality
and left it as destitute OF productive
properties as politician of sincerity
when he kisses tho baby on the eve
Of an election? OF Course the roots
of the COW pea will go down and
bring to the surface some of the pro-
duotive qualities of the subsoil, but
would it no, be vastly better to turn
it up with the pIow aud thus aid the
pea in it's gond work, and at the same
time prevent destructive washes by
converting the fields into reservoirs
for the rainfall of the seasons? Is it
not mistake to raise Digs instead Of
sheep with mutton aud wool at their
present prices? Once the pasture
fence is built the sheep will almost
feed themselves and enrich the land
by converting everything on it into
first class fertilizer. Is 1t not a mis-
take to even try to farm without suit
able provision for the rearing of a
certain number of cattle, sheep and
h"gs each year? Tue old Scottish
proverb, mo stock. no manure, no
CROP" is as trne today as when first
uttered There is 100 much depend
ence placed upon the expensive COM
mercial fertilizers with the result that
both the farmer and biz. land is be-
coming more and more impoverished d
every year. Why not raise stock by
growing such food crops as turnips
and sorghum cane for winter stall
feeding and Al the proper time market
the surplus meat aud return the feed
consumed to the land which produced
it? And So | might fill columns with
suggestive questioniugs similar to the
above, most of which are already
familiar to the average farmer in the
distric,, but it is only the few who
tear themselves loose from old
method and profit by the actual
adoption of the more modern and
progressive systems whicn are slowly
hut Inevitably Certain TO become the
universal pracice, because necessity
and the survival of ,he greatest in
dustry ofthe age demand that it shall
he 80.
The man who read the suggestion.
and experiences IF others and persis
tenrlv refuses 70 profit thereby, cast
ing them aside with The thought that
it is easier to preach than to prac
tice, and continues tho oh perform
ance of straining the camels and
swallowing nothing but gnats, will
eventually find himself trudging at
the tai lend Of the procession, and
the further rearword he is left the
louder will be his cry of "hard
times" This is an age of big thir gs
and strenuous effort. and the farmer
must be fohnd lin the swim" with
the slogan. hog and honiny, death
20 dogs and debt, home made bread
and meats, home preserved fruits,
home grown vegetables, and sur
plus to supply our homo market,
thus retaining within our borders che
thousands Of dollars which now 20
to enrich other sections; home manu-
factured f.rtiliz rs and a bale Of cot
ton to the acre for our luxuries and
the ch;ldren's educntion!" 1t is q
simple thiag t. cut in half and de-
vote ones whole energy and capital
to diversity ctsscrops, planting at
such times as wllI mat likely bono
6t by the usual charging seasons.
and profting by the certainty of
reaping s"mething, even should it
be "a bad year for crops" 1t is a
rare thing that when a man knows
his duty and does it fully and at the
right t,me,l nature fails to do her
part and cheat. him of his Just re.
ward. God helps hun who helps
himself
| AS to soil and climatic condition,
favorable to the production y. 90.
cereals and alrtihe egsrables grown
elsewhere, Of cou Sc practical dem
onstrat'on would be the more con
'vipeing. and the way to get this i,
to give them trial From obscr-
vatinn | am convinced that there arr
no more favorable conditions for tn,
farmer in ,l.e South than are 70 b,
found in UHi"n county. The fne,t
fields of whear | ever saw was ir
Union township. and spit has beer
With sweet potatoes, t mstoes, al
the fruitA, except nppIes, and ther
Is no valid ress n Why We canno
produce the chn,icest of all the yeae