The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-10-19
Some Random Thoughts.
e. w. D.

The article by Prof Barrow about
| Capt. Bunch's fine corn on the State
| Hospital farm in Columbia is worth
careful perusal. Some years ago
l went to this farm in May to see a
| manure spreader at work. Capt.
Bunch told me their corn yield had
| been doubled by the broadcast distri-
| button of manure to the corn when
| from six inches to foot high, and
worked In the soil around the grow
| ing plants. The work 1 saw done
| then convinced me the manure
| spreader is one of our best labor
| savers. 1 have not top dressed
corn since that year, 1906, because
have stumps and the machine would
| destroy too much corn passing
| around the stumps, besides would
be too heavy to pull if land is bed
| ded out and corn is in water furrow.
When I get rid of stumps that will be
the way 1 will apply black manure
| to corn.
The work done by the boys this
year ought to forever stop the cry of
its being cheaper to buy corn than
to make 1t. My sons crop, although
I not the highest yield I have heard
Of shows net profit of s65 on a sur
veyor's measured acre. 1 think all
of the statements are conservative as
to the value Of the pea crop and i'm
proved condition Of the land, amount
ing to nearly half Of the labor, ferti-
lizer and rent, and the corn was ev-
cry bit weighed by a disinterested
committee. He is sure that next
year with favorable seasons. he can
add very materially to the yield with
no more cost. by planting thicker
and using different fertilizers.
Eleven days work with boy and
mule. making s65. means that he
could have made between 5000 and
$500 on four acres with about forty
days work, or years college en-
| penses In less than two months
work, from March to July. Any boy
of good health and average strength
without capital could, if he is willing
| to work, secure four or five acres
OF land from some farmer and make
| enough to start him to College. He
| could do even better than the above
showing for he could pay his board
and rent and fertilizer accounts with
his labor for the farmer and his en-
tire production on his extra crops
would be profit. The boy mention
! ed above will make on his interest
in cotton crop probably $135 more
| net and very little time was lost
from school to work these two crops.
| These statements are published in
no spirit Of boastfuness, but to show
the wonderful possibilities in this
wonderful Land of opportunity" ia
this year of grace. 1910. And to
| urge other farmers to give their
| boys chance and to inspire other
boys not only to do likewise, but to
do a great deal better.
| There is one lesson these boys
| nave taught us, and we will miss a
great deal of good from their efforts
| If we do not learn this lesson, viz:
1t is that a few acres well manured
and titled will yield more crop and
more pleasure and less labor than
| many acres even moderately we'll
| manured and titled. 1t Is intensive
farming made plain. VIII we learn
! this lesson? We trust the results in
1911 on all the farms in Sumter
county will show that we have. And
that with fewer acres to cultivate
| and worry over there will be more
| leisure for rest and culture, and more
profits for still further improve
| mpntS w u