The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1916-12-27

cation as it's keynote. has restored
lnelr value. 1t is a sad fact that ir
the boil weevil section much of TIL.
land is no longer in possession of the
original wners.
Our people should realize that ,.rd
Is the unlimited basis Of value. and
properly to make it valuable, regard
less of the type of agriculture prac.
ticed,> It. is too often the case that
in the transition from cotton planting
TO q diversified system a new owner
ppear to reap the benefit of the
change.
Onder boil weevil conditions cotton
can not be produced profitably on the
Old basis of supplying the tenant with
provisions and equipment. The seri-
GUS objection to the old credit basis
Is that 1t has. encouraged the tenant
system and has taken away the I'm.
telligent supervisor of the landlord.
AS a result the soil has been deeply
depleted and much of it washed away.
The most successful farmers undo
Doll weevil conditions will raise all
provisions; keep out Of debt, and Gull
tivate cotton by improved methods on
a restricted area of the best lands.
That the n crop system has failed
In nearly every section of our country
is evident by the poverty of a large
per cent cf u agricultural people
after fifty years under such a system.
Our farmers should be made to un-
derstand that intelligent diversified.
ton and proper rotation of crops is
sound economy and the best remedy
for boil weevil conditions. Under
such conditions, it is absolutely nee.
essary that the cotton planter estab.
fish q system of rotation that will
l n a large measure keep up the sup.
ply Of nitrogen. Cotton should always
follow a summer legume, such as
cowpeas, soy beans, or velvet beans.
The effect Of these iegumes will be to
force the cotton to early fruiting, and
this is essential in fighting the boil
weeyil.
The following rotation is recon-.
mended: '. .. 49,.
First year. Cotton.
Second year. Corn, with soy beans,
.cowpeas, or velvet beans.
Third year. Grain; the grain to be
cut off and the land to be planted in
peas; the peas to be cut off for hay
or turned under in the fall prepare
tory to a second cotton crop.
In addition to the crops mentioned
in this relation, many other crops
should be grown. Where the soil
types and climatic conditions are ia
vorable and where suitable markets
are accessible, tobacco, soy beans,
beans, swee potatoes. Irish potatoes,
tomatoes, watermelons, cantaioupes,
$qndE various other truck crops can, bsf
probably raised. There are many
sections Of our State where fruit
growing can be proitably engaged in.
To. properly utilize all Of the pro-
ducts produced on the farm by the
proper system of Investigation, it. is
necessary to raise live stock. The
keeping Of live stock. especially dairy
nofft1n por ho In N r.-EkI
cupation for the small farmer, es-
pecially those who do all of their own
work. Every farmer should raise his
own mules. The raising of beef cattle
is also profitable il land is cheap and
suitable pasturage can be had. The
same is true Of sheep. In the north
ern section Of u State where much
of the land is too steep to cultivate,
these sdie lines of farming should be
found profitable.
For the small farmer no form Of
live. stock is more profitable than
hogs. Pork can be produced cheap
er in the South than in the North, es-
pecially where proper grazing crops
are grown.
More attention should be paid by
u farmers to poultry, in the way
Of having better breeds and giving
them more intelligent care.
The problem Of cotton production
under boil weevil conditions resolves
itself into Fastening the growth of
plants SO as to insure a large crop of
bolls by the middle of July and
certainly by the first Of August. In
~festation will Likely be too great for
any large number Of squares formed
after that time to survive.
1t has been demonstrated con
clusively that cotton can be grown
with fair success under boil weevil
conditions, provided improved meth