The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-04-17
IMPORTANT ITEMS OF CROP CUB.
TURE.
Harrow and Wecder Should be Used
Much at This SeasOn-COunty Agent
Discusses Crops and Tenant Sys-
tenn.

tivation of most crops should be done
before the seed is placed in the
ground. This year OF all years, a
great deal of early cultivation should
be done for a three fold purpose-to
conserve the moisture, to kill grass
and weeds, and to keep the soil pull
verified so that the air, sunshine, and
moisture can make available the
plant food in the soil for the plants.
A great many farmers in this county
are depending almost entirely upon
the plant food in the soil to grow their
crops, while a majority have reduced
the amount of fertilizer hat they have
been using about fifty per cent. The
seed bed on nearly all Of the farms
has already been prepared, and there
is not anything worthwhile that we
can do to add to the depth Of prepara-
ton, but where the land has not been
planted the harrow should be run
over the land, and it should be run
over land after the seed is planted
as 500 as the land is rained upon.
One of the defects in our farming sys-
tenn in Sumter county, is the failure
to run the harrow and weeder enough
at this season Of the year. l am glad
to see so many farmers using harrows
and weeders on their oats this spring.
If it continues dry the narrowing will
do more good than a heavy applica-
ton of nitrate of soda without the
narrowing. The weeder run over cot
ton after it m up will do a great
deal toward destroying that crop of
May grass that all farmers dread. !
have seen farmers in this county pay
a dollar an acre for chopping some
grassy cotton when one or two weed
ings at a cost of ten to fifteen cents
per acre would have kept the grass
and weeds down, so that no more
than the usual price would have had
to be paid, beside the cotton being
left in much better shape for plow-
ing.
! wonder how many farmers in
Sumter county in planning their crops,
try to, estimate the difference in the
amount. Of fertility left in the soil by
different crops? On the Bethel
School Demonstration, we have three
acres planted at this time in oats and
yetch. The land is fairly uniform
and was seeded at the same time in
exactly the same way. The two acres
that was in corn and peas and oats
and peas are much better than the
acre that vas in cotton last year. II
the farmers OF Sumter county ever
succeed in growing good crops without
large quantities Of costly commercial
fertilizers, it is necessary for them to
rotate their crops and grow more OF
the. summer and winter legumes, and
begin raising live stock. l believe that
the farmers of Sumter are awakine
to the fact that a good bermuda pas
ture is essential to every farm, worthy
of the name of being called a farm.
With bermuda for summer pasturage,
and burr clover for winter the cost OF
keeping cattle and hogs in a healthy
growing condition can be reduced to
a minimum. We also need more good
barns on a great many farms in the
county. Mr.. r. B. White, r. /. Sum
ter, has a model barn that any one
contemplating building a barn would
be well paid for making a visit to see
it. He has some burr clover and ber-
muda that is looking good and is
planting eight acres of his best land
around his barn with a view of fenc-
ing it. Mr.. White is not taking the
view Of pasture land that 1 once heard
a man remark about pasture land.
This man was showing his farm to a
man trying to sell it. The prospec-
tive buyer objected to a large field Of
barren waste LAND on the farm at the
price it was being offered, and the
man VINO was trying to sell the land
replied, that you always need some
waste land on a farm for a pasture.
1 should like to see a change made
in the way q great deal of the land is
rented in this county. Good farmers
tell me that they cannot cent land
but for n year, and that if they i'm
prove the land that the rent is raised.
In other words, land owners inst cad
or cooperating with their tenants and
encouraging them to build UP their
land, they encourage by the way they
rent the land, the taking off OF the
pay the nan to leave on the and to