Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-07-26
McCONNELLSVILLE FARMERS.

MccoNNELLSVILLE FARMERS.
Although it is not To he claimed that
farm management has reached any
| thing like the high stage Of systematic
development of which it is capable,
there is no question of the fact that
| wonderful progress is being made
| along this line and among the many
exceptionally able. intelligent and en-
ergetic farmers to be found throughout
York county, are not few who are
worthy to rank with the foremost of
our local leaders i'm other lines of en-
deavor.
The writer has entertained the view
| outlined for quite long while, has
more than once expressed the same
| idea i'm the editorial columns of The
Enquirer and is recurring to 1t now,
because of what he saw last Friday af-
ternoon and Saturday morning while
on a brief visit to McConnellsville,
| twelve miles south of YOrkville.
did not know was going down un-
| til a few minutes before train time;
but had been hearing good deal of
the splendid fields of corn Of Messrs.
J. r. Crawford and j. NJ. Williams,
and decided that it would probably be
worth while to take a look at them.
The first people I met as I stepped
from the train were Messrs. p. NJ. Bur-
ris and o. L. Sanders, both of whom
insisted that l had never been in Nc
| Connelsville before in my life, declined
to accept my declarations to the con-
| trary, and wound up with hOSpitable in
vitations to spend the night with them.
Having in mind, however, an invita-
ton from Mr.. J. Frank Ashe, which
assumed still held good, notwthstand-
| ing that it was given quite while
| hon I Ina
of having to express a preference by
| telling them of it, and Mr. Burris, at
some little Inconvenience to himself,
| kindly took me out to Mr.. Ashes house.
Yes, he grumbled a little. and | could
not blame him at all, because he was In
charge of two young ladies, and to take
me meant an extra trip. If | had pro-
posed to hire a team or borrow one
from Mr.. Sanders. | believe Mr.. Burris
would have been willing; but when
told him that | understood it was only
a mile and I had come prepared to
walk he melted. neighbOrly, kind
hearted gentleman is Mr.. Burris, as
every one who knows him, and that
means almost everybody. will testify.
Mr.. Ashe lives about a mile south
| west of the station, and his home,
conveniently arranged. neatly painted
| cottage of about seven rooms. is
located in an ancient grove of oaks, ce-
dars, walnuts, etc, on the eastern edge
of his 250-acre farm. Across the road,
to the north of the house is q big field
of fine corn, east of that a piece of
woodland then a brag cotton patch of
| two acres. to the east a pasture. to
| the south, the barn, and seven or eight
acres of orchard sowed in cane, to the
| west, fifteen or twenty acres of peas
showing up beautifully from oats stub
| BILE, and beyond that twenty or thirty
acres of cotton, more woodland, more
pasture, more peas in stubble land,
more corn and more cotton.
Mr.. Ashe was not at the house when
Mr.. BurriS set me down at the door:
but Mrs Ashe and their daughter. Miss
| Lillis, made me welcome and enter
| tanned me until Mr.. Ashe could he sent
| for He was off at the back side of his
| farm somewhere, and when he did
show up, | must confess he looked the
part all right. Suspenders (two) cross
ed over q check shirt, holding up pair
| of we'll worn blue Overalls, stout shoes
and wide -brimmed black hat. The shirt
was pretty wet about the small Of the
back. There was two or three days
| growth of stubby beard, and no collar,
of course: but the characteristic, good
natured smile was in evidence, and
with Mr.. Ashes many friends that
counts for more even than when he is
dikcd out for a wedding.
If my unexpected visit was an in
convenience To Mr.. Ashe, never found
ii out. on the contrary he made me
| feel as if he were as well pleased at
| my being there as | was. and when |
proposed a walk over the farm, he was
| right in for that too. except that h"
seemed more or less doubtful as ID
whether an Office man like myself, un-
used to walking except on concrete
paving, would he equal to the rather
rough route he had blocked out in his
mind.
Naturally the first place to which Mr..
| Ashc took me, was the orchard in the
| rear of the house. He thought | would
enjoy some fine peaches, and | did, but
| was still more interested in the other
contents of the orchard. 1t was waist
| high i'm sorghum cane, which had
been Sowed broadcast and which
was as thick as the hair on
dogs back. A new growth of burr clo-
yer just beginning tn show, from the
ground underneath, and twenty or
more pigs of all sizes were running at
large in the enclosure. | could not see
| the pigs until later. Mr.. AShe calling
| them out into the barn lot, showed me
a handsome lot of Poland China and
RerkShireS. He thought his orchard
arrangement was about the best that
| he had been able To arrive at. The or
chard ground needs To be cultivated;
| but does not produce cotton or corn
satisfactorily. The hogs can get good
| living off the dropping fruit and the
growing cane without hurting any
thing. Besides shading and nursing
the young clover that is coming on to
take it's place as it goes of. the cane is
making big lot of excellent hay that
is worth a great deal more on the farm
| than anybody would like to pay for it
| in cash. From the orchard we passed
through the barn lot where there stood
four or five mixers worth from $40
To 500 each. and down in the barn Iast-
urc was to be seen flock of geese busy
cropping the grass. The flock is small,
but Mr.. Ashe says they are little trou-
ble and no cXpcns" and he intends to
increase their number.
From the barn lot we crossed the
road into the big corn field already re-
fcrrcd tu. There are about % acres
of it. MIR. Ashe explained that it had
been his intention Ia make il Il hra@
field; but had slipped UP somewhat
through his own oversight. He had
gotten Il limited quantity of Marlboro
Prolific seed just about enough to plant
the field. The ground was in as fine
condition as he had ever seen, and he
went ahead and used all his seed. with
no thought other than that he was sure
to get a good stand. BY reason of the
cool weather and cut worms or some
thing. there We're many SkipS. He does
not believe i'm replants much anyway.
and could not have done any rcplanting
if he had wanted tn because ii would
have been ruinous To mix another va
riety of seed. He got the field well
worked: but on account of his failur"
to get the right kind of a stand did not
use as much fertilizer as he had in
tended and there h. was. But it is Il
fine field of corn all the same. Much
of il is planted on turned under clover
Thn ct q lkS rln & 10 and u feet ligh.