The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1904-05-17
FARMING IN SOUTH CAROLINA AND GEORGIA.

Ala, is not very different from that in North
Carolina. The farms along the S. A. L. Railway
In South Carolina seem to be not so well managed
as those in our own State, but the Georgia farms
are either richer or more skilfully handled than
those in South Carolina.
In every State, however, there are evidences
OF scratching, patching, and lack of live stock.
Scratching, shallow blowing, is one of the great
banes of Southern farming. We don't use the
improved implements and machinery we ought to
use, nor do we use stock enough to break and
cultivate the land deeply and thoroughly. Patch
ing, cultlvating in spots, is another drawback. It
greatly increases labor and expense of c%ultiva-
ton, besides making the fields unsightIy. The
lack of live stock is probably the most striking
difference between Southern farming and Western
farming. We haven't horses enough; farmers in
other parts of the country make horses and i'm
proved implements do much of the work that we
depend on human labor to do. We haven't cattle
enough; and we can never maintain the fertility
of our soils until more attention is given to dairy
ing and beef ra~ising-meaning at once a better
rotation of crops and more humus and more ami
NAL manures for the land. Then we also need more
hogs and sheep. These are some of the things
that impress the traveller in comparing a South
ern trip with a trip in the North or West.
= X
Another thing we notice is the failure to i'm
prove the opportunities for identifying the build
ings and grounds. Here where trees, flowers and
shrubbery are within the reach of all, there is no
excuse for having a house set in the middle of a
plowed field. DIR. G. Alphonso Smith was arguing
on this trip that the American, as compared with
the Englishman, Frenchman or German, is de-
fcient in appreciation of the beautiful-and we
are much inclined to accept his theory. The
prettiest-kept lawns between Raleigh>and Hamlet
are at Southern Pines, and we are very much
afraid that they are made by Northerners of for
eign parentage.
We stonped over in Athens, Ga, and saw Prof.
j. M. Johnson, formerly connected with our North
Carolina A. & M. College, nut now in charge of
the Department of Agriculture of the University
of Georgia at Athens. Prof. Johnson has been
in his present position nearly three years, and
now has five or six times as many students in the
agricultural course as there were three years ago.
He has also inaugurated a short winter course for
older farmers which has been very popular. A
new building for the Agricultural Department of
the College is one of the probable results of the
increased interest in the course.
Just before reaching Athens we passed through
the farm of Col. James M. Smith, possibly the
largest planter east of the Mississippi. Thirty
five years ago Col. Smith borrowed the money to
buy $50 acres Of land. He has added to it year
after year until to-day he has $4,000 acres in one
tract and $1,000 acres elsewhere. The first year
he raised three bales of cotton; last year he raised
$500. He works 200 horses and 400 negroes, and
is worth $1,75O,OOO. And this is money he made
farming But he doesn't depend on cotton alone.
Six days in every week, and ffty-two weeks in the