The Jones County news., 1913-02-27
CHAT WITH our JONES
COUNTY FARMERS.


( We're scientistits from all parts of
the country. One of the speakers
told his hearers to ask any ques-
ton they desired and he would
answer it.
We inquired what was the best
time Of the year to clear wooded
land for cultivation?
The prompt reply was, when
ever your axe is sharp +" The
speaker then went on to explain
that sap never descended into the
earth after it had risin in tree.
and it was mistaken idea with
many farmers that they injured
their land bv clearing ii in the
summer. We then and there diff
fered with that expert and gave
him some facts that came to our
| knowledge.
We are satisfied that when you
remove green timber from your
land in spring or summer. after
the sap has risen in the trees,
that you rob the eartn of it's very
life and fertility You should
never stick an axe in tree or
bush until the sap stops rising,
and it is better to wait until win
ter sets in and the trees hegin to
shed their foliage Notwithsrand
ling the assertion of agricultural
experts, we know this to be true.
II you will leave the brush and
litter on the ground and give
time for the land to recnperate it
self, the difference is nltsD per-
ceptible: but to clear Il piece of
woodland in the spring or sum
mer, and then burn off the brush
10 cultivate the next year, you
will never grow satisfactory
crop thereon unless you let the
land take on second growth of |
wood. We have known num-
her of fine fields ruined by re
moving the timber while the sap
was rising in the vegetation that
covers it.
When we lived in Spartanburg, !
S. g., on farm near that city, |
,l&a-ailasn. psesee = Il Vi
to neighbor, Major Duncan.
We noticed a strip of land bet
ween the dirt road and railway,
Of about eight acres, on which
we never saw fairly good crop
grown, while just across the rail-
road the same character of land
was making bale of cotton per
acre. We asked Major Duncan
the cause of this difference. He
replied:
"Well, CAN'T, that barren
strip shows the folly of clearing
ground in the summer. Nine
Years ago cut down that strip
of ground during the summer,
on wet days and after my crops
were laid by. | did not get into
the piece across the railroad un-
til winter set in. You can see
for yourself that simply ruined
the acres cleared in summer. |
have put thereon twice as much
manure as on that cleared in
winter, hoping to bring it up, but
it does no good. | have never
gotten enough from that summer
cleared land to pay for labor and
fertilizers. | have about made up
my mind tC turn the strip out,
let it grow up in old field pines,
and thus recuperate itself | did
not believe it made any difference
at what time you removed tim
Der from land, but | am now
satisfied that when you clear in
the summer you sap the very
from the soil"
We have seen this tried dozen
OF more times and with the same
result.
Clean Cultivation OF Crops.
As further proof of this fact.
there lives in Greenville county,
5. c., a farmer named Bob Hell
Iiams, who bought a poor tract :
Of land, and the crops grown
thereon were the subject of CON-
nent all over the State. He
afterwards sold the farm for 1925
oer acre when lard was cheap.
We one day met Bob Hellams, 9
and asked him how he brought
lp that farm and what quantity
IF manure he used to the acre.
He stated that he used no more O
than his neighbors, and q