The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1909-12-10

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Paper read by JOS L. Keitt be-
fere County Farmes' Union, Deeem-
ber 4, 1909.
In beginning the Annals OF
Newberry, Judge O'Neall attributes
to Col. Robert Rutherford the ex-
preston that, "South Carolina IS the
Garden spot Of the world, and New
berry the garden spot of that gar
den spot.'' Judge O'Neall further
saws that the 368,640 acres Of land
constituting Newberry county pre-
sents the most unbroken body OF
cnltivatable land in any portion OF
the state. There are not 10000 acres
in the whole county, which have not
been eultivated,or which may not' oy
n~oper agricultural industry, oe
brought into cultivation: Inc PR
meval condition of the land OF 5nlS
aonntv doubtless justified the IAN
snage Of Charles Pinckney neaIiy ~.
s,s',rv and a half ago, that "As
sanItrs 's;a,,1t1re is the only honest way
HSara;n l1 q man receives a real IN
ansase ~ Of the seed thrown into the
CREASE - kind Of continual MIR
aele." o, .lo Forests
,5 m and down hill When
ssptiity waned the land was cast
ss;de and a further eneroaclmen'
was made upon the virgin forests
That forest has practically dlsap-
peared, and, where it once stood rlcn
with humus, slopes are now furro"-
ed with red gullies. and fields com
pacted by exhaustion Of humus. Suen
lands cannot be productive. For
we have from the source OF eternal
truth in the parable Of the soWer
that some (seed) fell upon stony
places, where they had not muen
earth, and forthwith they sprang up,
because they had no deepness OF
earth. And when the sun was up,
thev were seorched, and, because
thew had no root, they Wlthered
away.
That soil in Newberry county
should be unproductive and consid-
cred worn out, is due to the de-
struetive agency Of man. Its res
toratim and development is now be-
Eng achieved by some Of our pro-
gressive farmers, and can be accom-
phshed by all who will be sufficient.
" painstaking in the application OF
simple methods. The highest devel-
opment can be attained only by
deep soil with abundance Of avail
able plant food. In contrast, a: SOIL
two inches deep, with clay toun.
dation, which is characteristic OF
this county, the subsoil rendered I'M
pervious to air and water, by clean
cultivation Of successive crops OF
cotton, prepared by plows scratch
ing no deeper than the soll-plants
upon such lands may be compared
to Tantalus-who, as mythology re-
cords Jupiter, for some otfenses,
consigned, with an insatiate THIRST
no to his chin, in a pool OF water
Every effort he made to drink eaus-
ed the water to recede, and he could
not get a drop. Above his head was
SUSPENDED the most luscious fruit,
but his attempts to grasp 1t were
thwarted by a breeze that, always
carried it beyond his reach.
Upon such lands copious rams
may descend when the two inches OF
soil becomes saturated, the surplus
water must move off, accommodating
in its downward tendency; a cur
rent is formed, carrying the soil
with it, and leaving in its wake ero'
sions that attract later currents bear
ing the soil to lower grounds. just
beneath the soil of such Land IN
Newberry county is the clay subsoll
oGod clay carries from one and one
half to four per cent. of potash. Pen
dleton, an eminent agriculturist OF
Georgia, said that the poorest acre
of land contains enough phosphorlc
acid to make five hundred good
crops. Only one Of the "tripod of
agriculture' is lacl[ng-nitrogen'
But all may as well be lacking; for
under the conditions they are not
available as plant food. As bear
ing upon this point, I will cite an ex-
pertinent of Lawes and Gilbert. A
soil of average wheat producing
quality was selected. After five sue
aocc;ro .,.one without m O n,1,,e wheat