The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1903-08-05
Winthrop College Farm.

| nock I'LL, July Zl.-AnyoDe unac-
quainted with such things woald be
astonished to know the amount of ma
terial required to furnish food for
the big family of people who inhabit
Winthrop College. President John
son and his good housekeeper, Mrs.
Ada O'Bryau, vented these girls to
have plenty of good wholesome food,
and, when one knows what trouble the
average housekeeper has in providing
e variety for her small household Of six
or eight, one can imagine the diff
culties which beset when that number
is multiplied by fifty and there are
four hundred mouths to fill. So the
management found much trouble and
anxiety for the first two or three years
Of the Colleges existence, and while
depending upon the local market.
Of course cereals and such staple
foods were easy to get, but the beef
and other meats, vegetables, fruits,
milk and butter, etc., are necessary to
give this household reasonable va
riety-to say nothing of fine table.
Fortunately some of the trustees
had foreseen this difficulty and, while
the College was in course Of construct
ion, had obtained an option upon a
small farm near the building. This
option the Legislature had confirmed
and the farm had been in process Of
improvement FIRST under the building
superintendent, Mr.. w. H. Stewart,
and afterwards Mr.. D. L. Black.
Upon Prof. H. B. Buist's connection
with the College he took charge of the
farm, and under his skilful and intel
ligent management it has become a
model which may serve as an object
lesson as to what may be accomplish
ed without even 80 much as one row
Of cotton. 1t has been gradually
brought up to Q state Of cultivation
which is indeed beautiful to see, and
it is we'll worth visit to anyone, even
those not directly interested in farm
ing.
The farm lies about three-quarters
Of mile from the College and is q
small one Of 144 acres. There are on
IL the foreman's cottage, the dairy.
mans cottage, model dairy, slaught-
er house, cluster of stables for STALL
fed cattle, large and commodious
barn for the milch cattle, and an i'm
,nense lot containing pens for the herd
Of swine. Inside the barn are two big
silos, where the food for the cattle is
| prepared. Under the trees connected
with the cattle lot is an ingeniously
devised trough, which provides the
purest Of spring water, and that with
out allowing the cattls to foul it in
any way. It is the same in the hog
lot, and they have actually learned to
drink the pure water as it flows from
the spout instead Of refreshing them
selves in the usual "hog" way.
Last week the canning plant was in
full blast aud Mr.. Buist was busily
engaged in putting away for the Col
lege pantry the products Of the i've
year-old orchard. So far here have
been canned 1000 gallons Of peaches
and there will be 600 gallons Of toma-
toes and fruit added to this. In the
orchard there are eight acres planted
with peaches, apples and pears. Ad-
joining the orchard is an acre patch
of strawberries in the highest state Of
cultivation.
Two acres are planted in alfalfa.
which is IN it's second year. From
hese two acres six tons of hay have
already been cut--in three mowings-
and it is expected that the two cut
tings yet to come will yield four tons,
making o total Of FIVE sons to the acre.
The rest Of the farm is in corn, sor-
ghum cane, cowpeas, soybeans, etc.,
which is made into enailage. The
whole corn plant is taken while the
ears are in the milk and cut up fne,
giving the COWS in reality a mixture
Of canned corn in the ensilage, which
produces the finest and richest Of
milk. 5.r
The herd of milch COWS is composed
of jersey, Holstoin, Guernsey and
good scrubs and is kept in fne con-
dition. The beef cattle are bought
outside and then stall fed for slaught.
ering. One hundred and thirty head
arc annually consumed. AT the CLOSE
Of the last school year there were on
hand 1876 head Of hogs. Many Of
taese are young pigs, which will be.
ready for the pen by fall. All Of
these are fed entirely from the waste
products of the farm and College, not