Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1902-09-10
UP-TO.DATE FARMING.
Dr.. HunnicuH, Of Atlanta, Addresses The
Greenville Farmers.

The were fully two hundred farm
ers in the Court House yesterday at
noon to hear the able address deliv-
cred by DR.. J. B. Hunnicutt, of At
lanta, the popular editor Of The
Southern Cultivator.
The speaker was introduced by
Colonel M. L. Donaldson, Trustee
of Clemson College. The farmers
gave the very best attention and
seemed deeply interested in every
thing said by the speaker.
DIR. Hunnicutt urged the farmers
that if they raised cotton to raise it
on the improved method. From my
experience and the experience. of
hun dreds of others, / believe that
thereis more clear money for the same
labor, same capital and the same in
telligence invested in farming than
in any other industry in this country.
He referred to one of Atlanta's most
wealthy citizens who is owner of a
large packing house, an ice plant and
one of the largest cold storage
establishments in the South, and also
runs farm. For each business this
man keeps separate and distinct
set of books and knows the profits
and loss of each, and he says that
his farm pays him the largest profits
of all his other business. AS a farm
is generally conducted, however, it
is failure.
No man who is making his living
out of the earth can afford to buy,
either for cash or on credit, anything
that the earth will produce in re-
sponse to his labors. You may
make living, but you cannot farm
intelligently if you buy your fertili-
zer and provisions.
When the farmer makes a short
crop, he lays the blame on his Maker,
but it is always his own fault. The
earth is adapted to the plants and
the plants to the earth and the rea-
son of crop failure is due to the
manner in which the crop is worked,
due to what is known as the "scratch-
ing" method. DIR. Hunnicutt then
referred to the minerals in the soil.
giving the names Of each and the
quantity of each that exists in ordi-
nary soil. These minerals are in an
insoluble condition and the mission
of the farmer is to make as MANY
of them soluble as possible. To
do this the soil must be pulver-
lied. 1t may not be pos
sible to pulverize the soil com
pletely, but it is your dnty to make
1t as fine as possible for the better
ment of your crops.
To pulverize the soil the first
thing to do is to plow deep, plow II
to Is inches. About five or six
inches below the earth there is a
hard sol! or band which prevents the
crops from developing to their full
growth. This hard band must be
broken to allow the water to 90 into
the earth and also to allow it to re-
turn when needed. The plant is also
prevented from going into the earth
by this hard band. 1t must be bro
ken, and deep plowing is necessary
to do it. If this hard band is broker
all the water that falls on the farm
can be retained in the soil and yor
can thus keep your winter water fo,
summer use.
How is this water that goes into
the earth brought back2 The strong
rays of the sun bring it back ant
with the water food is brought fol
the plant, the plant separating The
water and food and utilizing tn,
necessary quantity Of each. The
speaker referred to the remarkable
intelligence of plants and their con
formity to the laws of nature.
The farmer should keep all the
water thai falls on his farm in the
soil. In order to prevent its escape
from the earth without benefitinp
the plants it is necessary to use 3
dust board--a small plank attached