The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1920-01-15
THE BEST FARMER WINS
REGARDLESS OF LAND.
CONTINUED from page 2, column 2.)


and, also, bought manure to help the
crop along. Each of the choppers
was given the same quantity of fer
tilizer and manure, and as they were
supervised but very little there was a
chance to judge, where yields varied
widely, as to the causes of differ
ences in yields.
As it might be expected in such a
year as 1919, all kinds of crops were
made on this plantation. Some were
az good as those of the best years
and some were too poor to pay the
fertilizer bill.
The cropper who had the best cot
ton owed his higher yields altogether
to the fact that, compared with the
other croppers, he was an outstand-
ing man, using outstanding methods.
Naturally, then, when I saw this
mans crop, which was practically
double the average yield of all the
other croppers, l hunted him up. He
was a tall raw boned white man
whose name, Rube, was in keeping
with his appearance. He took pride
in his work and was willing to talk,
30 quizzed him to the limit.
"The main way l beat the other
fellows out" he said, 'tis by working
the crop better. We all had the same
chance to begin with; the same land,
the same seed, the same fertilizer, the
same acreage and the same boss man
he's a fine man to work for all
right
"Was there any difference in pre-
pairing the land last spring." asked.
eyes," he said. "In the first place,
We can start plowing our lands along
In the winter so that we don't have
to wait for spring. Usually in jan
uart and February the weather is
right and land is in shape to ploW,
and if man is a good cotton grower
he starts work then"
"I suppose, then," I interrupted,
..you started work in the field as
early as any of them"
"Yes,'' he continued, there was no
one ahead of me. 1t pays to keep up
with the work. One of my notices
is to shove the work and don't let the
work shove you. Some of the men
started two weeks later than l did
and they've been about two weeks
later all year, but guess they won't
be two weeks later in getting their
cotton picked, for they don't have IL
to pick
"About deep blowing" I asked.
stDid you plow your land deeper than
the rest of the men?'
.Well, no one plowed any deeper
than did," he said. eve first break
part Of our land and part of it we
bed out with one horse plows. have
always noticed that the man who
breaks his land the deepest or, If he
Is bedding out, the man who throws
up the highest beds, which can be
done only by plowing the deepest, is
the one who in the long run makes
the best cotton. Usually you can tell
quite closely by going over the farm
in the spring before seed of cotton
is planted who is going to make the
good cotton by the way the land has
been worked up to that point"
.tHow about the time for planting
the cotton?" asked. ''Were you any
earlier than the rest?"
WELL" he returned, there were
some that started planting the same
day did, but was the first man
through. Take it one year with an
other, the early cotton .aakes the
most and the man who gets his cotton
in on time is the one who has the
best chance. I always follow this
rule and this year it has paid mighty
we'll. There's nothing like starting
in time"
"Has there been any difference in
the cultivation of the crops?" asked.
eyes," he resumed, "quite little.
There are two things am strong for
in cultivating crop. One is to get
it done on time and the other is to
do it we'll. Some people don't plow
their cotton on time or at the proper
time. They are not what you would
call good forecasters.
"Then some fellows are poor ploW-
ers," he went on. "After they 60 over
the land it is often in little better
shape than before. They leave grass
behind which by the next time the
crop is plowed is too big to kill and it
either takes extra work to get it ou,
or the. crop is hurt for the rest of the
year. You've got to do this whole
Job right if you are going to make a