The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1914-10-23
Inc U. S. Department of Aqri-
culture Gives Valuable Infor-
nation Regarding Farming
Lands OF Union COunty-Says
me One System Crop and In
difference of Preparation of
Soil is Responsible for Run
down Condition of Lands.


Washington, ID. c., Oct. 22.-Tha
IfSt requisite in the improvement of
ohioh county agriculture is the reno
walton of the soils. The one crop svs-
tenn under which cotton is grown st,c-
ceSSlVely year after wear and indif-
ference IN the preparation and tillaCc
OF Tn" soil are largely responsible for
the rundown condition of most of
the land iii the county.
IN order to establish a satisfactory
ana permanent agriculture such meth
oGS must be changed. The impovcr-
iShed condltlon of many of the soils
GOES not indicate the lack of mineral
plant food so much as an impaired
ph!Slcal condition and deficiency of
orEahic matter. In cultivating the
soil especially the heavier types such
as the cecil clay loan, the small ono
horse turning plow and the old fash
iioned "buii-tongue" plow are entirely
inadequate. To break such land pron-
erly two or three-horse team and a
heaNN turning plow are required.
Inc above findings and recommen-
datlonS are found in the report of the
sou survey of Union county, South
Iarol4a, made by the bureau of soils.
Z. >. department of agriculture. The
survey was made for the purpose of
classifying the different types of soils
In the county and determining what
crops they are best adapted to. The
report Is accompanied by colored
map showing the location and extent
Oh the different types of soils as well
as the churches, schoolhouses, roads.
and streams of the county.
During the survey Is types of soils
were encountered, II of which occupy
,he residual uplands and 3 the alluvial
bottom lands. The report analizes
the types and classities them accord
ing to their crop adaptions, past.
present and future.
Cotton is the principal crop grown
and is In most cases grown year after
year on the same land. Corn is grown
TO some extent but enough is not pro-
duced for the needs of the farmers
oats are an important crop with
few farmers.
Sweet and Irish potatoes are onlv
grown In small patches to supply the
nome needs. Both give satisfactorv
yields in the sandy uplands. Where
markets are available they are prof
table crops when grown in connection
with general farming.
Whlle the sandy soils. particularly
the coarse teXtured Cecil soils and the
Appllng coarse sandy loan, are well
suited to the production of peaches.
grapes and pears, these crons are
not produced commercially in tha
county. Strawberries and other va
rletleS of berries thrive we'll ON tba
well-drained soils.
Much less attention is being paid to
dalrylng and stock raising than the
opportunities of the soils offer for
TINS industry would warrant. The
general conditions of the county are
favorable to the extension of the
dairy industry. there being consider
able land which, owing to the topoq-
raphy, is more suitable for n,stnra
than for cultivated crops.
IN" production of beef cattle should
also prove a desirable and profitable
industry. There is an excellent op-
portunlty for the production of hogs
and sheep. Hogs are kept on many
iarmS of the county although in gc.-
eral not enough pork is produced to
supply 4omc needs.
The land of the county generally
receives insufficient preparation, eS-
pecially the heavier loan and clay
loan types; This is due to the light
equipment in common use, the break
ing of land being done ordinarily with
ohe-horSe light plowS, the result be-
ing that only about 3 inches of the
surface is broken. making the seed
pea much too Sha low to properly alb
Soro ana retain the rainfall.
some OF the more important soils
OF the county with their crop adam
tation, as outlined by the report, are:
The Cecil sandy loan is the most
extensive soil in the county. 1t is
good for penoral farp,;no. 60,