Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1913-09-03
GOOD CROPS IN OCONEE.

EuCu uhlheGSalIy SOOu crops as tnlS
Jcar. 1t is really remarkable to note
&Ee progress being made along agri-
cultural lines everywhere in the
county, and it is but natural that the
result should be gratifying in the eX-
Gremo. OCOnce was at one time
aotcd for her position among the
poor" counties Of South Carolina,
But she has made such rapid strides
in the past few years that she will
now rank well up toward the top of
che list of rich" counties. Speak
Eng from an agricultural point, and
Jaking into consideration Oconee's
area, we doubt if there is more
prosperous or a greater agricultural
county in the State. Crops every
where are good, and our farmers are
learning the great agricultural prin-
%iple Of making two stalks grow
where one grew before" They are
cutting down the acreage cultivated
and intensifying-culti and
fertilizing we'll a smaller acreage and
devoting more land to pasturage, and
Ehe raising Of forage crops that tend
20 build up land that has been culti-
rated long in the past.
And Oconee has hundreds of good
farmers Among these we may men,
zion the Neville brothers, OF West
Union. And they are no less farm
ess" because they do not devote all
Eheir time to their farms. They rep
resent the ''head-work," which is
quite as important to the attainment
OF success in agriculture as is the
muscle and physical endurance Of the
man behind the plow. We have
never seen a finer field of corn or cot
ton than the fields of those staples
on the Neville farm that lies between
Mes, Union and Phinney's Station,
along the line of the Blue Ridge rail
way When we visited that farm last
week we were amazed. There be-
fore us stretched some sixteen or
eighteen acres Of fine cotton that the
farmer Of the real cotton belt might
point to with pride. We noted (first)
shat the limbs of the stalks lap al
most continuously across the four
foot rows, and (sccond) that the
Etdihs range from waist to shoulder
Aigh. The whole field presents to
rhe eye that rich. deep green color
that tells OF healthy crops, and an eX-
animation Of the stalks revealed from
rs TO 40 well-developed bolls to each.
we believe that the field, from one
end 10 the other, would average 80
large, sound bolls on the day we went
through it, and there are blossoms
and squares innumerable yet to be
reckoned with. Jesse G.. Neville is
Ghe active orain force behind that
crop, and he believes he will make
two bales Of cotton to the acre for
the entire field. If he misses the
mark We are inclined to the belief
that his estimate will be a little low
And the Neville farms are not de-.
roted exclusively to cotton. Side by
side with the cotton field referred to
IS field Of corn that would make
che Western corn-grower'S mouth
Water--big ears and lots OF them.
THE hcld is going to return to Mr..
Neville and his renters from 80 to
100 bushels to the acre.
But the Nevilles are not the only
good farmers in this Scction---not by
AIlT means. OcOnce has them by the
Iundreds, and each year adds to the
number. They are paying attention
q the approved methods OF cultiva-
tiOn and a systematic method OF aD-
plying fertiliZcrs--whiCii is simply
ThG putting of crops ION a diet" They
are studying what the various crops
need to build them up and make
thcm grow strong and healthy, and
10 make them put on and mature
fruit. That is where the head
|ock' comes in. In looking over
Mr.. Neville's field we noted that
considerable distance from where we
stood there was a weil-defined sec
don that showed up darker than the
Dest. a question as to the reason
brought the reply that it was the re-
suit of an experiment. One appli-
cation OF fertilizer as side-dressing
gas omitted from that part Of the
field where we stood, and the most
casual observer crossing through the
Hsld will note the effect at once.
II makes fellow proud OF his
county to 30 out and look over the
crops that are now maturing 1t Ia