The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-08-10
Corn Culture.

We have all had good rains, rains that
lave gone into the ground, run off the
ground and carried the ground with them.
The ranches are all up, and that means
Long Cane and Little River are taking 6
summer outing in the hills, and that down
about Augusta and Savannah Georgia
negroes are risking their lives after
watermelons, grown on Long Cane. 1t
means that the offers and muskrats are out
In the tall timber, waiting for the waters to
20 down. II means that what catfish are
left don't know ONE from a hillside. And
1t means that many q poor man has lost all
his corn 4. They are standing along the river
banks now gazing at their erst while promis-
ing fields, like Aeneus over the ashes of Troy.
The low lands a week ago exuberant with
the promise OF fruit now lie a tangled mass OF
mud and qnagmire.
Occasionally we have advice to farmees
from the Editors easy chair. Advice on
farming from the average editor is about as
we'll worth consideration as a root doctors on
the germ theory. Ofcourse there Is no harm
lone for no one knows better than the farmer
how innocent the editor is of the subject.
Without venturing, then, into the details
vi NSASt oNNSS -
g~estions based on common sense, touching
our methods In corn raising.
We 30 frequently hear people lay that the
farmers are foolish TO plant their bottoms in
corn; that corn can be raised on up land and
should be planted there and not where 1t will
be annually sU ept by the floods.
Under existing conditions this would ap.
pear to be a reasonable view TO take Of the
matter, but why not remedy the evil.
The corn ordinarily raised on an acre OF up.
land is usually worth little more than the
cotton seed that might be produced from the
. same grade Of land. Up land corn is too I'M
certain. The soil may be Of the highest grade
and every attention may be given to It's
cultivation aud yet the entire crop may be
cut off by a drouth alta critical period OF It's
growth.
Then why not turn to our low grounds
that are so well adopted 10 corn growing, eX-
cept for the hoke condition Of our streams.
Our state is literally threaded with water
ways, which If we'll cleared, would give us a
corn area more than sufficient to raise our
supply OF that cereal.
There is a law requiring every man to keep
the streams clear, on his land. Why not en-,
IOTCS IL! why " IhC NlClo, I"O
months in the year, say July and August, in
clearing RATS from the main water ways,
such as Long Cane Little River and similar
streams. 1t may be urged that the measu re
is localin its operation, and would not be
for the benefit OF the whole people. This
however is not the case. There Is scarcely a
%neighborhood In our county that hasn't a
small stream running through 1t, and these
small streams can not be properly drained
without first draining the main water ways.
Might we not even dispense with the mud
filled dams which ale choking the streams TO
so little purpose? The few corn mills that
are left are on streams, grind little more corn
than a hungry mule can eat In the run OF a
year, and with little more speed, while they
damage the lands Of the MILL owners them
selves, Thousands of dollars.
Attending agricultural lectures Is all well
enough to aid in intelligent farming. but the
farmer knows thai without moisture. the d.
phosphates and di-something else can make
a crop of corr only on paper; they know as
well that the low grounds alone may be de-
pended upon uniformly formoisture.
VIII not our candidates for the Legislature
take up the question Of opening our main
water ways, to discuss with the people the
advisability pit.