The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-11-19
Raise Your Mules at Home.

Columbia, Nov. 17.-'1It is cheaper
to raise horses and mules in South
Carolina than it is to buy them
cheaper by one-half," says Commls-
sioner Harris who has had enough ex-
perience to know what he is talking
about There is no State in the Unit
ed States that. can raise a horse or
mule or pound of pork OF dairy pro-
ducts or pound Of mutton any cheaper
than can be done in the State Of South
Carolina We now know that the
boil weevil will invade South Carolina,
for he's here And it now behooves
the people of this State to diversity
their farming so as to raise every
thing that the farmer will need for
food for himself and family and for
the live stock on his farm. What lit
tie cotton he grows Will be his own
and he viii be able to name his own
price In fact diversified agriculture is
the only system by which a farm can
: be made business enterprise. Now.
let's see If the above statement as to
the cost Of raising colts is a fact:
"a farmer needs only one and IA
acres to posture and raise all the feed
a, colt viii need from the time it is
six, months until it is three years old.
and ready for the collar. How would
/ plant this land to do this? will
answer from experience. Sow the IA
acre in Bermuda grass and the acre
lot in oats, wheat and vetch. Sow by
October 10th and cut about 18th OF
May when the grain gets in the
dough state. Immediately break this
stubbIe and plant in corn Of some early
variety.
81 would build a stable in one cor
ner Of the grass lot and make a loft
to hold Q 1-2 tons of hay, to have the
feed handy. I would repeat this for
three years and by putting the manure
back on the soil, would reduce the
fertilizer and improve the lot every
year At the end Of three years when
the mule is sold I would have at least
s35 worth of feed on hand.
Instead Of farmer buying mule
every year or two, he should raise at
least one or two every year The
mares would perform about as much
farm work as mules up to the very
foaling time, and the farmer would be
saved the expense Of buying fresh
stock from time TO time.
.4Since have been farming, 80
years, I have never bought q horse,
and I don't use mules I bought a
FLY colt FOR $50 before I was married
and I haver aised every horse that ]
have used on my farm ever since.
There is no good in mule when he
lies down and dies. but mare viii
leave the farm well stocked when she
goes, and will have done as much
work as the mule.
..TTe amount of money sent out OF
South Carolina for mules and horses
is shame, when we consider that II
could ali be saved, and that we would
by raising more live stock grow more
grain at home instead Of buying II
also at fancy prices. Recently l had
some OF the inspectors Of this depart
rnent to take a census of mules and
horses bought in some Of the counties.
Here are some Of the startling figures;
.In Lee county, 1900 head bought,
average price 1925. total s295.O0o;
Darlington, 1900 head, average price
1925, total $3.50. 900; in Sumter coun-
ty. s650,000. The inspectors visited
the dealers and got this information
THESE horses and mules could have
beer raised in those counties from
foaling to three years old under the
system I have outlined. at cost OF
$40 per head. and by that method the
land all the time would be improved
81 would be willing to make good