The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1917-02-23
SANTUC

not all, growing farm or garden crops.
There will not be enough oats left to
even consider a partial crop, and be-
lieve the wheat, of which there was a
larger acreage than for a very long
time, is so badly killed that it will
have to be abandoned. The work Of
planting, and the seed-both oats and
wheat is lost. Some farmers were go
ing to reSow, beginning this week. but
raising right now will put a stop to
that. The question of seed oats is a
problem now. 1t seems farmers have
not made much show of farm work,
and it seems, too, they have been
mostly busy at something. 1t seems
they are economizing on the line of
hiring extra help: perhaps saving
themselves for more pressing times,
and labor may be some scarce then
that may be a caution.
Velvet bean talk is now filling all
of the farm papers, and l would add,
that farming ought to be coming
within its own, with so many things,
made, or being invented" to aid the
farmer. Oh, yes, you can "fgger,"
or write on paper and show a farmer
himself that he ought soon to be roll
ing in wealth--"If he does his pare
etc. But when he butts up against
all sorts of adverse weather rondi-
tons it often spoils the song. There
are many plants designed by the AL
mighty Director of things for a dual
purpose. j. G., for animal benefit and
soil building. and summing it all up
will work going and coming" direct
ly and indirectly. Peas, l,e2ns and
beans, ClOVcrS, etc. can go on .he land
directly when it grows, or can be fed
to stock and go back through another
channel. But now to show Il rath of
thorns for the farmer to tread u get
rich. Last fall a man sowed ten lush
els of rough bur clover seed and the
fall was so dry not a plant could ever
be found that came from those seed.
He had some from volunteer coming,
and three weeks ago was looking fine,
but the extreme cold of Feb. 3 killed
it as dead as broomstraw. CT have
about 10 bushels that the extra dry
condition last fall scared me from
sowing. I am keeping them). This
same cold spell of weather killed all
of the oat crop, and l believe the
wheat. That is another long sharp
thorn we farmers have against us.
And seed oats are now scarce). So
you see that cuts our accumulation
badly.
But back to the velvet bean. We
will not talk the other bean, sofa
bean, this time. A brother planted ~
acres of corn with velvet beans the
last of May last year, lost his fodder
on the field, but quite quantity of
beans ripened but frost bit many, but
we went and picked the driest, or
many of them. I quit everything else
and helped, as the cowpea crop was
short, and I wish to plant beans
where peas don't reach, this year, so
we have quite lot-if we can get
them hulled. But, oh my, how they do
sting while picking them, if you do
not use your wits to beat them to it..
But we found a new use for them
other than for humus-as these beans
were bought and planted for humus
alone. We had two patches planted
alone, where the vines ran on the
ground, and they put on pods around
| the roots of the vine like bunch of
/ |lipcncd, but was left in the field for
| fertilizer; but ia pranking with our
three immense hogs, they began to
eat them, and now when they are
! .uncd out of the lot in the morning
! they hustle to the bean patch. eat an
/ hour or two, thcn leave. and late il
the afternoon they come back and eat
! until they are put up for the night
! And it does one good to see how they
are taking on fat and growing and il
| Is not bit of trouble to us. and they
are not eating but very little corn.
! perceive now that if velvet beans are
planted early enough, if frost is rath-
cr late, and you can leave your hogs
to eat them, one can have a good thing
in velvet beans for hog feed. Weather
does not hurt ripe velvet bean in
the pod, and hogs will do their own
gathering. 1t did not take very long
to train these hogs to know what to
do. Last fall was a rather dry, late
fall and was favorable for velvet
beans to ripen, but these were planted
the last week in May, and could, in
season, be planted the first. But some
other year bad weather for them may
spoil the prospects, as bad weather
spoiled her, crimson clover, and oats
this season. But farmer will never
cease to try, it seems, some things at
least You just watch him try cotton
again this year. But with bur clover,
crimson clover for grazing for hogs in
t!:c spring, velvet beans FOR the dry
protein feed, and all on the same land
it can be-and later summer graz
ing, and still later peanuts, potatoes