Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1922-01-11
An Effort to Help Edge6eld
written by Request.
meeting of a number of the

cltlZenS OF EQSenelQ was recently
held for the purpose of organizing
marketing association. This associa-
tion is organized, not with the idea
of making money for those who may
invest a few dollars in it, but rather,
to find market for farm products
that may be grown on our farms. But
there will be little need for such an
organization unless the farmers them
selves realize their present condition
and make an attempt to produce on
their farms variety of fruits and
vegetables that are adapted to the
soil and climate of the community. /
may say also, that it is not advised
to forsale the growing of cotton,
which for all these years has been a
leading staple produced in all the
Southern states. However, other
crops can be produced on the same
farm along with the cotton that might
prove most helpful in a general way
to put the farmer in a more indepen-
dent position. To that end have been
requested to write for publication
some suggestions that may be found
helpful.
Let me say that / am not an expert
agriculturist. I have never taken a
course in agriculture. Therefore, I
can only write from such experience
as l have had in the past years in my
own native state and from observa-
tions that I have made here and there.
confess also to some misgivings in
the attempt inasmuch as it is some
what out of my line. I am first and
last minister of the Gospel and to
me the Bread of Life is far more i'm
portant than bread for our bodies.
However, we all realize that some
thing material must be done to save
our community from bankruptcy
and the consequences thereof.
First, let me name more or less
staple articles that may be produced
here with exery expectation of a prof
it, if undertaken with care and prop
er cultivation and harvesting. In the
group of vegetables we must not
forget that they are to be produced
early. You must have them on the
market a few hundred miles north
or west before the fellow up the
road can produce them. Your place
on the earth gives you this advantage
and if you DO not use it that is your
fault. You are from two to four
weeks ahead of the fellow 500 miles
north of you. That is your chance.
If you do not start in time to beat
him, he will supply his market at
home for your tomatoes, you were
from twos to A weeks late in getting
the stuff there. l name the group in
order as they appeal to me:
Irish potatoes, cabbage, onions,
string beans, English peas, beets,
Lima beans. Any farmer would do
we'll to try an acre of these if mar
keting facilities are provided. A sug-
gestion follows as to time of planting
and cultivation.
Irish Potatoes: Plant only the
Irish Cobblers, using Northern seed.
The ground should be well broken
and from 1900 to 1000 pounds high
grade guano used in the drill when
planted. Get guano with as large per
cent potash as possible. Get every
thing ready for the planting and as
soon after the 10th of January as
you can get them in the ground,
plant them. If they are not planted
by the middle of February, you are
late. You have about one month to
plant, but it is rainy season of the
year and if you do not put your po-
tatoes in the ground the first chance
you get after the date mentioned, it
may be much later than the goth of
February before you can get them
planted. 1 would prefer the chances
of a paying crop planted the last of
January rather than the first of
March. I can not give here all the de-
tails relative to the growing of this
crop but will be glad at some future
time to give them.
The growing of seed potatoes here
is not so much a problem as they are
grown more or less extensively al
ready But no one seems to have the
idea of growing them early. You can
be assured of good market for your
sweet potatoes in the Northern mar