Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1922-11-15
OUR AGRIC CULTUR.E IN THE
PIEDMONT.
(By GAS. Il. Carberry.)


Passing as we are through one Of
the most critical periods nlSt:la his-
tory Of South Carolina, economic yal-
ues are Of greater Importance, and
the conservation Of our natural re-
sources, eliminating small items Of
waste with well-directed effort,
should impress all alike.
7 Tho cotton boil weevil and finan-
cial depression prevalent means rad
ical changes in our general agricultu-
raj system and due consideration and
preparation for which should have
benefited us years ago.
We have too long practiced the
one-crop system--thought and trad
ed only in terms Of cotton. Our natu-
raj resources and opportunities have
been abused. Worst Of all, we have
practiced as people systematic rob-
berry from the hand upon which we
rely for subsistence Of the soil.
The extravagant use Of CONNER
cial fertilizer has been a common
practice-one from which no one
can show soil improvement except
where such plant food was used to
produce plant life. to be returned IN
part or as a whole to the soil
Had the bulk Of money spent dur
ing the last twenty years for COM
mercial fertilizers been applied to
seeds Of the various legumes, judi
ciously used, we would now be liv-
ing in veritable land Of milk and
honey, and would feel to a much less
extent the demoralizing influences Of
the cotton boil weevil.
In an agricultural community es-
pecially there is no subject OF such
Importance as soil building. Indeed,
upon this and the control Of soil
moisture depends success and eco
nomic crop production.
Our soils Of the Piedmont are sub
ject to enormous losses through ero-
sion, gullies-great avenues or chan
nels through which our plant food
and best soils pass to waste; graves
for our soil fertility; profit-eaters-
constituting a great source of loss
which might be prevented.
Humus, or decaying vegetable mat
ter, is the greatest storehouse of
nitrogen, which is the most eXpen-
sive constituent Of plant food, and
one which every farmer can and
should grow in form Of soil-building
crops, Of which there are a large
number for summer and winter use.
The too common practice or using
poor seed likewise causes large an
nual losses. Poor, inferior seed are
dear at any price. 1t takes no m >re
land or work for good seed and pro-
fits-other things being equal, or
greater.
The common practice Of exchang-
ing or buying new seeds every few
years is not very commendable. It
is better to start with pure seed and
keep them so by field and other Sc
lection.
There is a double opportunity for
Improvement with corn where re-
selection can be practiced in the bin.
Retaining and planting seed of
unknown merit for sentimental or
other reasons is as rule unprofit-
able. 1t Is better for any community
to first secure the best standard va
rieties Of proven merit for the par
ticular section, and all use the same
Ey this method larger yields can be
produced and standards raised in ad-
dition to production of uniform
grades in quantities and quality SUI
flcient to command better market
prices.
Tho careful and observant farmer
who starts with good seeds Of cot
ton can help himself greatly by care
fully watching for off-typc plants,
bolls. etc. Dscarding such plants
and later selecting the.very best indi-
vidual plants in the field for breed
ing plot the following year, or plant
ing seeds from each selection in sep
| arate row on uniform land, giving
| each selection and row a number,
and at the end Of the season weigh
ing cotton from each row separately,
retaining seeds from the 0utstand-
ingly high yielding rows for increas-
ed plots the following year.
Corn has wonderful tendency to
mix If is thereforn NJ proot I'M,
portance that communities should