The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-04-17
PRIZE WINNING COMPOSITION.

among those handed in on diversified
farming which were considered worthy
Of publication by the committee iudg-
ing them These compositions
will be published from time to time
in this paper. Today the composition
winning the prize of $25, which was
offered by the City National Bank. is
published. This composition was writ
ten by James Mob. Dabbs of the Sa-
lem school.
Divcrsification and Rotation i'm FARM
ing
There are great many farmers who
use very little If any diversification
In their farming. They plant one or
two crops as, for instance, in our sec
ton. cotton and corn. And a great
deal more Gotten than corn is plant
ed.
Let us consider the condition of the
farmer who plants a large crop of
cotton, and small field Of corn, mere
ly as a side issue. If he has good
seasons in which to work his crop. and
can get plenty of labor, he will
make a good crop Of cotton. But
even If he makes q large crop, he
cannot tell what the price will be. If
he can get a good price, then he is
in fine conditions; but Z the price
is like it was last fall, he may make
very little money, or none at all. And
If he has bad seasons, and cannot get
his cotton worked, at the end of the
year he will probably be heavily in
debt. Then also, the feed for his
stock Will sbon give out, aud he will
have no buy some. SO, we see. If a
man plants great deal Of cotton to
the exclusion Of other crops, he IS
really gambling. This does not amply
to cotton alone, but to any crop. The
farmer who plants nearly all of his
farm In one crop, is liable to find him
elf in the same condition as the farm
er who plants a great deal of cotton
and very little else.
On the other hand, if ne plants a
plenty of corn, sows peas in the corn
at the last plowing. plants some cot
ton, (for in our part of the country
cotton is the chief money crop). sows
some peas broadcast for hay, and in
the fall plants as much oats as he
thinks he will need, and puts the rest
or his land In clover, rye. or some
other crop, to be used as pasture, or
10 be turned under in the spring as
green manure. he will be farming on
a much safer basis. For even if he
makes nothing on his cotton, he ha J
plenty of feed for his own use. and
sometimes some to sell. And if he
has some cattle and hogs, which every
farmer ought to have. he will have
pork. milk, and butter to supply his
family, and perhaps some to dispose
Of
Another important reason for di-
versifying in farming is this: if a
idrmer has several different kinds of
crops there will be no times when he
cannot keep up with his work and
then. later on. have nothing To do.
but the work will be more evenly
distributed throughout the year.
1t is safe to say that farmer should
not sell hay and grain. unless he
makes more than he can profitably
use. but should feed it to his cattle
and hogs and then sell them. For if
he sells the feed he will be taking
plant food from the soil and putting
nothing back in its place; but if he
uses the feed ON his own farm. he will
nave plenty of stable manure 10
put back on the land.
The keeping of good cattle ana hogs
goes hand IN hand with good farming.
for it is hy them that we may hope to
Keep our soil fertile. or to make if
~ ore productive. without the usa uf
50 much commercial fertilizer. Stahle
manure Is useful in many ways; it
contains a great deal of plant food
and when poughod into the soil II
forms humus which is very useful.
The more hulnus there is i'm a soil
the more open it is, and the more
easily can the plant roots grow. It
has been shown that ground that is
well supplied with humus stays warm
or than ground that is not; also. that
IN" humus VIII hold water longer In
a drought.
Along with diversihcation Of crops
we ought also TO use some good sys-
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