The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1907-08-07
FARMS AND FARMING IN Sc"
YORK STATE.
as Seen by Sumter Man Who. Makes
Some Comparisons.

* =
eonntrv are very different from those
of Sumter county. The only familiar
crop is that of oats, and even that
seems rather strange. for it is now
lust heading out and is as green and
dour;shing upon the tops of these
hills as any I ever saw in the bottom
lands with US. These rocky slate-clay
hills. however, are remarkly we'll cul-
,gated and as every farm is primarily
dairy farm the fertility Of the sols
is in a measure accounted for. The
staple field crops here are Timothy
hay, oats, corn and wheat. while con-
siderable attention is paid to- truck
e:rnning and to the growing Of apples
and small fruits. The hay crop is
decidedly the most important and
Timothy hay may be called the cot
tom of this part Of New York. It
grows about three feet high, is very
stocky and heavy and yields from one
and half to three tons to the acre
on fair land. In handling the hay
some novel improved machinery is
used. First, after it is partially cured
q estedder" or automobile pitchfork
turns the hay over and scatters it
about 50 it can cure thoroughly.
Then when cured and raked up a
loading machine is attached to the
hay wagon and driven down the
.heap-row" and presto, the wagon is
full of hay, so Mr.. Driver trots his
horses to the barn where a monster
set OF fingers slips under his hay and
takes it up from the wagon into the
loft, and the driver returns for an
other load. I'm rather afraid that
neither the 1etedder' nor the "loader'
would work in peayine hay, as the
vines would catch and clog the chains
so our Sumter county farmers will
for the present have to depend on
that clumsy, though very useful piece
Of mechanism, the automobile mig
ger
Not as much attention is paid to
waest in this part Of the State as in
the section west of Elmira, yet nearly
eves farm has its field of golden
sea5n,'' which is now about ready for
he harvest. The hills are generally
50 steep that binders" are not used;
cut he old time cradle" seems to be
taa f;ayorite and the wheat seems to
sFal5 t,etter when It is cut on Sunday.
G2-u here reminds me very much
of tae story of the small boy who
pcagged that his fathers corn 0-esr't
"a as he vas and core tas> 'ed
ready It is planted Ii ross
four feet wiae ana, from earee
Sfalks n nils three feet apart.
.-1.o deuple cultivator is used almost
ane-elv for its cultivation, and owing
u tie large amount Of moisture pres
en- N these clay soils, the leaves are
;7a-G green and the plant grows
-.s5cs,ly. Forty bushels per acre is
sa:a % be fair yield, but owing 20
aE1e ste season this year only poor
crcp s expected. The quality of this
slsre4 arn soft grained corn is not to
be c6 impaired with our hard grained
saclay :. and don't blame these peo-
pse Ter not eating the bread or hon-
81 made from it. There certainly
seems 10 be room for. the use of our
g.9Ss and meal here, instead Of the
=s1G hat is palmed off on the public
as e1ae great cereal breakfast food
lone teaspoonful enough for fam
~ .a9fast''-and if the truth We're
.Sssa4.1. it is more than enough. Yet,
card of South Caroinians who
aa seem to know that our southern
e9 as nearly as much nitrogen in
$ - ,as the best wheat and instead
& ing al they should. they bay
sas= IF ripe northern excuse for
.a ,o-ses and feed their children
rumpled maple leaves because
e easy to digest"
there are a few products from
-G ms here that touch nay heart
30 encer';., apples as good as the
row Oh eveyv farm; celery
9 es on the low nlack lands near
aud buckwheat. The frst
# au1Nwheat I saw con
ne that it VS. only a fed Of
a5c OURS, and though I've sen
stree. almost d mass OF pure
ao lowers, I'm almost sure that
ankees grind up coekle-buGss.
title kaoln from South Carroll
~ ship it out as "self-raising
eat -four of the finest grade
TED out to write about the
.gricultural College. which IS
aere. and run as one Of the
q-,e,,tc of CorraU TTniyersjty