Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1920-09-05
QUIT COTTON ON
400 ACRE FARM
Oscar Williams Decided
He Had Enough Last
Year

hams, two miles out of Plains, and
about thirteen miles west Of Amer
US. Mr.. Viii ans, and his father
efore him, nave lived upon his place
more than thirty years, beng engag-
ed in farming there.
This year he will not produce a
single lock of cotton.
All of the vast area embraced I'M
his nearly 400 acres enclosed within
a modern steel wire fence, is being
devoted now to the raising of cattle
and hogs and the production of
feedstuffs for these animals. There
are fields of corn and velvet beans
scattered about the big plantation,
and during the past season he ship
ped several carloads of splendid
watermelons, but nowhere is cotton
plant to be seen.
Mr.. Williams is just getting start
ed in cattle and hog rails
ing as an exclusive industry.
Only few years ago he devoted
most of his time to the production
of cotton. Yesterday he told a Wis
itor why he abandoned its production.
The last year in which he planted
cotton upon his place, he said, he
lost $1,000 or little more than
500 for each month in the calen-
dar year. He was then engaged in
the warehouse business at Plains in
association with Mr.. Bacon, and at
that time owned a number of scrub
cattle and hogs, which he has since
disposed of. Now he raises only
pure bred hogs, and nothing under
a grade heifer is to be found grazing
upon his broad acres.
Fine Dnroc Hogs.
Most of his hogs are of the 'Orion
Cherry King" Duroc stock, with a
goodly sprinkling of Defender"
strain included within his herd. His
fine young boar, an Orion Cherry
King product, which he believes will
prove a winner in the stock exhibit
ton, has large grazing patch along
side the road near his farmhouse,
and he is taken daily for trot of
half a mile to another field. This
exercise has given the young boar,
already big-boned and of fine form,
a splendid erect carriage, and has
made his as gentle as possible.
Scattered about in number OF
plots within sight of the farm house,
are numerous hog houses, where sows
and filters are cared for in most
scientific manner. Mr. Williams,
intensely interested in the produc-
ton of pure blooded pigs, and con-
WINGED that the raising of such ami
mails produces the best profits, HIM
self personally superintends the care
of all sows and litters. Friday af-
ternoon, when a visitor called at the
nm, he found Mr.. Williams view
80 with pride Is fine young pigs
which had just been brought IN by
one his young sows. These spendid
little pigs he had placed in large
cotton basket, and they were sleeping
there contentedly when shown.
$50 Acres in Pasture.
Mr.. Williams has recently put INTO
pasture a large area--probably l5Ol
acres-heretofore devoted to the pro-
duction of cotton and other products,
and now has large herd of grade
cows and feeder steers grazing there
on. This pasture he plans to SEED
in Iesnedeza, or Japanese clover, asI
a result of recent Investigations
which have convinced him that les
nedeza provides the most profitable
Grazing crop which can be produced
IN this section. Already he hasl
matches of this grass all about hls{
fields and he is now beginning thej
eradication of all shrubbery IN order
to hermit its exclusive growth within
his pasture enclosure.
One of the Sumter county Dull as
ISOLATION bulls is quartered on the
Williams farm, and Friday afternoon
he presented a splendid spectacle
standing upon slight elevation with
in the pasture enclosure with ABOUT
* Young cows and heifers content
edly grazing in an adjoining enclos-
ure.
Several fine springs, conveniently
located provide abundant water Tor
all of the cattle in the Williams pas
ture. and at the farm house he hasI
arranged a distribution system
which puts water into every separate
cattle pen.
Resides raising cattle, hogs ana |
watermelons, Mr.. Williams has plant
ed corn and velvet beans in one or
two large fields, and these VIII pro,
duce more than enough teed 1Cr an
his cattle and hogs. In addition ne
is now harvesting an abundant nay
crop which is to be stored IN Che
bip harm near the farmhouse ana
fed as occasion demands throughout
the winter Showing that he raises
everything consumed on his 1arm |
Mr.. Williams is engaged just now IN
setting out his turnip "patch," of
about S acres, and which should PR:
duce enough turnips to feed half
the county.
Mr.. Williams, who is one Of theel
best known young business men OF
Plains, as we'll as a progressive faf-
mer, is a frequent visitor IN Alne L1I
Gus. being we'll known here as we'll
&c has been definitely proved ThaO
when a human muscle contracts an
electric current flows in 1t.