Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1912-02-07
TWO ACRES ENOUGH.
Rev. R. C. shannonhouse Tells
How q Gentleman Makes
Money on Two Acres in
South Carolina.


spring ought to prove somewhat of
an inspiration to the average far
mer, especially SO since he has had
it rubbed in that there is no money
in raising cotton.
His name is Barnabas Bryan,
hailing from Maryland, but on ac-
count of bronchitis living for the
last four years in the ridge sec
tion'' of the balmy air of South
Carolina, his address being Ridge
Spring, sc.
Mr.. Bryan lived all his life,or say
sixty years of it, near Washington,
D. c., and with his son made and
lost several fortunes there with
greenhouse gardening. Then the
physicians told him that he was
also losing his health and would
have to live outof doors in warm
er climate or else surrender to tu-
berculosis.
So he came to Ridge Spring. And
in the four years he has had
complete relief from the bronchial
trouble. and has done a great deal
more. He has made a good living
for himself on less than five acres OF
ground. Last year started OFT with
a promise of the best results OF any
in all his experience in gardening
but as the drouth caught him in the
middle of the year, we can in fair
ness only count what he did in the
first six months.
Two Acres and Quarter.
He rented two and a quarter acres
at 500 (iinety), which seems like a
tremendously high rent. But 1T
was the land he wanted for his plr-
nose sand v soil with rich sqbsoit,
aaor The owner had land an
aronnd au him set in peach orchards
whieb were netting from one TO
four hundred an acre every year,
and for asparagus it was easily g1oa
for; for one hundred and fifty net. Be
sides which, Mr.. Bryan wan ted 70
bny the land, and it was agreed
that he could have it at the END OF
the YEAR, if he wished for $500
an acre, in which case the rent
would be credited on the purchase
nrice. These things are mentioned
simply to add to the evidence una sna'
# nays always to work good land.
: In M the middle of the field he built il
a shack for himself, mostly with with
his own hands, which is comfortable Ie
and cosy enough in any sort OF
weather, and it cost him just $50.
Here he feeds himself on the diet
that he desires without having te
bother any clearinghouse keeper.
And more than that, last summer
when tie peach crop was, the best
on record he bought enough Tor 9
SONG to can nearly hundred dol
lars worth on his own COOK s'o'e
Diversified Farming.
To begin at the beginning, how
ever. Last January found MI
field planted as follows; .One-hal1
acre i in radishes and one-half acre
in spearmint. March found him
with another half acre planted il
parseley, and May, with the bal
= ance. three quarters of an acr
: in Lima beans. These were nj
main crops.
Take spearmint first: Every
8 BODY knows of one use for mint
| but in the market it is sold for 9th
er uses as we'll. The restaurant
: and hotels of the Northern cite
{. must have it in the spring 10 n
spring lamb, mint sauce, soup fis
vorlng, etc.
e Mr.. Bryan dug up a lot of
around the old gardens of Ridg
0 Spring, some of it growing will
along the low places, and cut it int
o sections-that is the roots-abor
e three inches long. This seed wa
r sown in drills late in the summe
preceding, and highly fertilized. l
:. the fall it made rapid growth unit
g the heavy frost arrested it. an
again in February it grew agal
ts fast enough to keep him busy. Ii
t beds then we're about two feet VIC
9 and two feet apart and an acre ioni
!. At first it is cut when the stems al
no more than four inches high, tie
in buncbes the size of a quarter dc
lar, and shipped by express in ord
@. nary scent market baskets, hol
- mo about ten dozen punches. The