Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1911-05-03
II. l.. BRA NDT AS a FA RAIER.
"In the Shade of the Old Apple
Trcc"-WOrk and Rest.

Editor Keowee Courier: In an ag-
ricultural section everything con-
nccted with farming Is Of interest,
and from time to time new "plans'
are brought to the attention of our
people. The most conspicuous in
recent years has been the William
son plan. This plan has accomplish
ed much good, especially in stimulat-
ing the farmers to n liberal use
of fertilizers. The "stunting pro-
able in our mountain section, where
find it best to push the crop from
start TO finish, or whore It Is desired
to make two crops on the same land
during one year.
The concentration Of capital and
labor on one acre has proven what
a be done and is encouraging. but
not always safe or practicable to the
small farmer. When Il one or two
horse farmer reads used thirty
loads OF stable manure on the acre"
he Is ruled out, for generally he has
not that much for his whole crOp.
And II is SO again when two mules
are put in front with a turn pillow,
w behind them and two more be-
mind with subsoil plow-siX mules
when he only has II or two. In
summing up expenses the cost OF the
mules is given during the time that
fhnv ur, truNJyI
Should the ordinary farmer use 81,
mules it is generally necessary &c
g them during the entire year and
when idle rs we'll as when at work.
Many OF our small farmers arc
adopting the plan Of having a "pet'
acre, or two, without concentrating
all Of their means on it or abandon.
ing their usual farm method on the
remainder of their farm, and this,
thlnk, IS wise. This is experiment.
ing on a safe basis-not CASTING
everything on the turn Of a die.
For many years | have beer in
tercsted in the "Brandt plan" When
ri. l.. Brandt settled on Il black lack
ridge at the edge Of Walhalla it was
predicted that he would starve but
MT. Brandt had no intention of stary-
ing. instead he got married, sccur-
ing a wife who has been a hclpmect
lhdced. He then went to work to
Improve that blackiack land. He
kept his stalls well Uttered with
leaves and vegetable mould and
hauled wood. and leaves to litter the
livery stable stalls. to town, and
brought back stable manure The
German proverb says. mo stock. NO
manure; no manure. no land; no
land. no crops"
Mr.. Brandt keeps two mules and
a h"rd OF cattle and hauls out enor-
mons piles OF manure, which he scat
ters broadcast, experimenting, when
advisable, with commercial fertiliz-
ers' lie rotates his crops and has
h!onEh his land up to a fertility
Whlrh makes 1t a pleasure to farm IT.
lie c~uitlvateS less than twenty acres.
On seven acres Of this black lack
land, when he plants for grain no
generally makes more than two hum
dred bushels OF wheat, and after
wards about two hundred bushels of
corn. When he plants for cotton he
generally makes. on seven acres
from seven to nine 5O0-pound bales
Of cotton.
In the fan OF 1909 looked over
Mr.. Brandt's crop. which was fine
and IN good order, in spite of the un-
favorable year. My attention was
attracted to a piece Of corn which
had beer planted SiXty-onc DAYS no.
loro, after cutting oats. II was thnn
IN, or past, 'hc roasting ear, and
looked as if it would APPROXIMATE
the corn for which the old PREACHER
Is said to have prayed. "Nonc OF Won,
little nubbin'S, but corn with ears rs
long as my arm and grains like iron
WodGcs. Mr. Brandt hoped Ia
make fifty bushels to the acre.
Mr.. Brandt raises everything al
nome. Not only is his cotton n sur
plus crop, but he generally has corn
wheat, butter, milk INC eggs TO
sale. "Unto every one which hatl
shall be given" has proved true II
Mr. Brandt's case. several legacie.
having been left to him or his wife.
For many years he has been quite
an extensive money lender, but h(