The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1905-06-29
Helpful Chats.

Helpful Chats.
a farmer of the Piedmont country
carried about forty chickens and tur-
KEYS through the winter. If he Sc
cured from that number fifty pounds
of manure it was not visible. The
manure for that number # hens should
be worth $40 a yeaI. He carried five
or six cattle through the year. He did
not have two loads of manure 70 show.
He lost $50 there. He bought two tons
of guano for S4l. He applied that 10
poorly prepared land and the grass
in the first two weeks of June used up
half the plant food. There he lost So.
That is, 4 small two-horse farmer.
through carelessness and lazineSS, lost
s52, besides the loss in consequence of
E poorly cultivated crop. There are
hundreds of farmers in the land that
lose by one or the ether Of these leaks.
A dozen or more men with families
have said TO the writer that they would
not plant Irish potatoes. They had no
luck with them and they did not care
for them any way after the first mess
or two. The man who depends on luck
in farming ought to hire out TO some
good white man for wages. He is not
qualified to conduct farm. There is
no luck even in this section OF the
country in raising the white potatoes.
as they are called up North. Good
soil, well prepared and fertilized. and
cultivated rapidly will insure q fair
crop. provided the hugs are kept OIL
by Paris green. 1t is said that il the
potato patch is covered with pine
needles the bugs will not trouble them.
Even green pine tops placed around
the plants will keep them off. according
to reports. There is no trouble in rails
ing sweet potatoes. They bring 4 dol
lar a bushel now. and the crop Is
profitable at thirty-fve cents. if sold
from the field. Some people who do
not depend on luck always keep pota-
toes till planting time. What one man
does any other man can do if he tries.
Many of the oats sown broadcast
last fall were killed. Some sown with
a wheat drill were much injured.
Those sown with the Oat drill came
through the severe winter in fine style
The farmers trying that plan say that
they will never SOW another buShel
broadcast in the fall. This plan en-
ables them to SOW the heavy. produc-
tive varieties, which are always bet
ter than the late kinds that make much
straw and light grain. In sowing small
grain the most work ShouiG be put on
the preparation Of the land. After II
is broken with twO-hOrse or disc plow
and we'll narrowed. it is an easy mat
ter for hand to put in two to two and
a half acres a day. He lays off, dis
tributes the fertilizer. plants the oats
and covers them at the same run, with
a five-inch shovel: the rows will be
about fifteen inches apart. A smaller
plow will not leave the open furrow
deep enough.
Farmers who lave narrowed wheat
and oats March % to April 20. claim
that the yield is greatly increased. II
the soil is in fair condition a weeder
is better than smoothing harrow.
This implement pulverizes the soil
about one inch deep. A hand with
one horse can run over fifteen acres in
n day. \ second cultivation. provided
n rain follows the first. will be bene-
fetal. The farmers in this section who
have tried this plan believe that it adds
ten to twenty per cent. to the yield
ChaS. Petty, Spartanburg. S. c.