The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1902-08-27
The Lexington Dispatch.
Wednesday, August ~, 1902.
Thoughts for Farmers.

Between 1880 and 1910 the people
of the South became much interested
in the culture of silk. Visitors to
Limestone Springs about 1s45 might
have seen the ragged remnant of a
mulberry orchard, which good, honest,
visionary Reuben Perry planted out.
Where he secured bis plants we never
learned. The trees fourished, or
would have done 80 had they received
proper attention. Cocoons were i'm
ported, but no silk was ever produced.
1t was then supposed to be work
adapted to women, and they could do
that in connection with their house
hold work. Again interest is revived
in silk culture. It would be we'll if
men and women of means and leis-
ure would undertake it. It can never
be made profitable in this State on
account of the price of our cheapest
labor.
twenty-five years ago celery was
unknown by the average housekeeper.
It was used as a fsvoring
for soups. It is now getting to be a
desirable table luxury. The greater
portion used in this State is imported
from the Northwest in the fall and
from Florida in the spring. The
kalamazoo celery is tolorably good
when fresh. The Florida article is
poor. Celery may be raised in this
State and the quality is much better
than even the best quality that is
shipped from the West. 1t requires
q little care and patience to start the
plants. When about three inches
high transplant them to new bed,
giving each plant 4 to 6 inches square
Of space. When we'll rooted and
stocky transplant to the rows. These
should be three to four feet wide and
the plants 6 to 8 inches apart. With
q shovel or plow throw up a ridge
and manure and subsoil the trenches
between ridges. Keep weeds and
grass down. The blanching process
should begin three or four weeks be-
fore you wish to use it. The better
and quicker way is to pull the dirt in
from the ridges, taking care not to
bruise the plants.
The beef trust has the right of
way. Injunctions, legislation, politi-
cal harangues and condemnatory res
olutions are not going to break it. The
people can break it. This can be done
by raising cattle and hogs and selling
to the trust. They can also live on
much less meat than they use. A fine
mich COW is worth a thousand pounds
of beef year to family. The veg
etable garden should be made larger.
The sorghum crop will take the place
of meat. The family that has bar.
rel or two of this syrup on hand is
not going to suffer much if meat is
scarce. Let more attention be given
to raising fowls. If the people would
reduce their meat consumption half
the trust would fall to pieces. We
would emphasize the statement that
sorghum syrup is tne best and cheap
est syrup for the upper part of the
State. In the lower counties they
can make ribbon cane syrup, which
is better. But sorghum is far supe-
rior to the glucose compounds and
white drips on the market.
Some farmers are afraid of strain
ing their land. After cutting wheat
they do not like to plant corn on the
same ground for late crop. But if
they will run off their land in five
foot rows and plant an early variety
Of corn with four to six peas between
each hill they will make fair corn
crop, and the peavines, if left on the
land, will be worth five times as much
to the land as if it had been allowed
to grow up in grass and weeds.
We would eliminate crab grass
from the fields if possible. Itmakes