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Oldest Newspaper In South Carolina. VOL. 75. EDGEFIELD, S. C., WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8,1911 INTERESTING INTENS] Paper Read by Mr. W. T. W Agricultural Club and Pu August 20th, 1885. Co Contain About Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen: At our last meeting it was decided that I should prepare an essay on "The Advantages of Small Farms and In tensive Farming." I do not feel competent to do justice to the ques tion; nor will I have time to enter into full details of this matter. ? But as the question is of so much importance to our country and State, I would feel like I was shirking a duty not to say something; and per haps what I say may be a key to unlock our minds to the fact that smali farms are the salvation of our country, and the only way for a farmer to be happy-with cash in his purse to spend for the comforts of life. I once had a talk with a northern man, who said that in his country 40 acres was considered a good farm, and 100 acres a large farm. In China, they say, a man can support his family on 4 acres. I told this northerner that some of our planters had 2,000 acres of land, and he ask ed me if I knew there was such a I thing as being "land poor," and making a failure on a large farm when a small one would pay. It is the dollars saved> not made, that make men rich. As I have never owned a large farm, I cannot speak as to them except from obser vation; but judging by the want of improvements, rotten barns and empty cribs that I soe, seems that only a narrow living comes from them-and not profits enough to keep the houses in decent repair. You all know the troubles of farm ing, that tile labor of a large farm is generally negro labor. We all agree, too, that it is about the best there is, inasmuch as the negroes respect the whites, and were raised ,_jamiujg.ua>-They are u?ed to hard ships and exposure; and a living is all they want. And they can live on very little-happy with a bor rowed mule and an umbrella on the road to church. Now who is it that keeps up all the happiness of the colored mau? The land owner of course; and the more negroes he has, the more it takes to keep them np. Houses to live in, fire wood and well water, and supplies are all fur nished by the land owner. If a crop is made, we may come out even; if rot, the landlord loses. With these losses, added to the heavy, drenching raius and the un certainty of seasons, we see no profits in large farms. So small farms must pay, or none. But, say some, we have small farms that do not seem to pay. This ?3 true. But whose fault is it? Such farmers do not start right; they shut their eyes to the expenses, and leave it too much to the land to make a crop, without proper help, following in the wake of the man with a big farra. Some think they must pu: in a large crop,and must take in all the rocky knolls and gully-washed hills, when it would be far better to leave such places alone, and select only land with a good soil to improve. Let the large land owner, instead, select a few acres, that can be built up to raise 2 bales of cotton or 50 bushels of oats to the acre, and bring it up to a fine state of culti vation. Do not let the poor land eat up the profits of the good lots. Do not let a trifling tenant eat up the profits of a good one. Farming requires hard study. Lawyers, ministers and doctors have to scratch their weary heads and learn the principles and rules of their profession; and likewise must a farmer stud j' the nature of his soil, and the kinds of manure that suit it. Farmers have to count on the uncertainty of seasons, and they also have to study human nature to deserve and maintain the respect of their laborers. These are the elements of success ful farming: 1st, good labor; 2nd, good stock; 3rd, good implements and tools; 4th, good manure. 1st, good hands with poor stock, is time thrown away. 2nd, good stock with poor land, isa wa.slc of money. 3rd, bail tools, even wilh good bands and good land, is a waste of labor. 4th, all the best labor and tools and stock on poor land.is most awful of all wastes. Therefore by all means nutnvre well. This is the grandest desideratum of all. Com bine and change thc manure. Some, I know, will say that by the time we procure good tools, stock and labor, and then manure heavily, it will take all the profits. I deny the assertion. Without all this, you PAPER ON [VE FARMING alton Before the Edgefield blished in The Advertiser mmon Northern Farms Forty Acres. [will reap nothing*; with all this, ? you have the power to make good crops, and live in peace of mind. Others will say they see no money in either mode. And truly, by the way some of us manage, it is a mat ter of congratulation that we live at all. But let us see if there is not even more than a living on a small farm. Take an ordinary ?4-horse farm, and reduce it to 2 horses (and 2 hands; let one half of it rest. I think ten acres of land with a year's rest will make a bale of cotton more the year following; or else sow it down. You can sow this land, reap and house your produce at 3-? dollars per acre. Or you can do this work in spare time, with your 2-horse farm labor. You can raise from IO to 20 bushels of oats per acre on this land; you can feed your two horses off of it, and buy neither corn nor manure. Hire only good, efficient laborers; do not take the refuse of the jails and orphan asylums. If you rent out any land, rent only to good ten ants, and see that they change the land and not wear it out. Turn off promptly all bad men. Take 40 acres, say, to cultivate, and sow down 40 acres every year. Follow this plan. Give your 40 acres in cotton a liberal manuring, and by sowing it in grain after cotton, you have a good stubble and oats to feed on, besides some to sell. It is said that an oat crop will impover ish sand land. I do not believe it, though my own land is clay. Ten 'years--**-*-*". I f?nlr Inn^ --- and J crop? W rai se< lint c lands seed In lying took two of my best mules, hired 3 of the best hands, and bowed down 40 acres of it. I bought good im plements and used plenty of manure. My profits, net, were $800 on this land. In 1882, changing my land, I cleared $1,300 on this 2 mule farm. In 1884, I cleared $1,100. So I am decidedly of the opinion, and I speak knowingly, that the profitable method of farming is on a limited area, well manured, well prepared, and well worked. W. T. Walton. JOHNSTON LETTER. Death of Mr. Samuel Lott and Mrs. Manning Simmon!. Mr. M. T.Turner Loses by Fire. The past week has been one of sadness to our town. Death has en tered into three homes and taken away loved ones. In the death of Mrs. Manning Simmons, which occurred on Satur day morning about 7 o'clock, a great gloom has been cast. She had been sick only about 8 days and her condition did not appear alarming until Friday. The physician an nounced her case as developing into typhoid pneumonia. Before her mar riage to Mr. Simmons about 10 years ago, she was Miss Birdie Smyly, daughter of Mr. Jackson Smyly, and Elizabeth Tompkins Smyly. All that knew her loved her for her sweet and modest demeanor. Self never came first with her, it was always something for others, and especially did this noble trait manifest itself i.: the little home circle. Her hands were ever willing to dr anything for them, no matter what the task. Her devotion to her sisters was lovable to see, and inexpressibly sad was the fact that one sister, Mrs. Albert Dozier and her mother, Mr6. Smyly, were too ill to be told of her death at the time. Besides her husband, 4 small children are left, and one brother, Mr. St. Clair Smy ly, and three sisters, Mesdames P. ?. Lott, Pickens Kinard and Al bert Dozier. The burial services were conduct ed on Sunday afternoon at 3 o'clock by Rev. Beckham, assisted by Dr Dorset. Among relatives who came to at tend the burial of Mrs. Manning Simmons were Mrs. Ella Tompkins, Miss Grace Tompkins, Mr. J. L. Mims, Miss Ina Hill, Mr. and Mrs. (Continued on page 8.) ?J?WMm ^ * z ? 7*. .i ^ %A ' ? r 7 " ,5. v A &3? 'Ci. Group of Ladies who Were Present at the 'Celebration of!Mrs. E. E. Adams 71st Birthday 1 Mrs. Hattie E. Lanham; 2 Mrs. Mary J. Norris; 8 ?Mrs Nanie Griffin; 4 Mrs. J. A. Holland; 5 Mrs. J. A. White; 6 Miss Cottie Youngblood; 7 Mrs. 0. L. Miller; 8 Mrs. C. B. Blalock; 'J Mrs. Sallie Collett; 10 Mrs. Virginia C. Addison; ll Mrs. Missouri Lott; ti Mrs. Emeline Cartlidge; 13 Miss Florence Mims; 14 Mrs. Agatha Woodson; 15 Mrs. R. H. Mims; Iff Mrs. Mary Thurmond; 17 Mrs. E. E. Adams; 18 Mrs. J. L. Mims; 19 Mrs. N. L. Brimson; 20. ?Mrs. W. H. Harling; 21 Miss Sophie Abney. A Change for the Better. The life-long domicile of an old lady was situated several feet south of the dividing line of Virginia and North Carolina, and when that sec tion of the country was surveyed it was discoveredthat the line ran afew feet south of the property in ques tion. They broke the news to the old lady that from then on she was to be a resident of Virginia. 'That's trood." shAPrnlo?m^. It costs you nothing to enter. We have absolutely ho ''string" to the contest- We do not even require that you be a subscriber for the pa per in order to aror. the contest. It .will be conducted, as- heretofore, purely for the public good'and not for our personal or private g?in. We pay the prize money and you do the rest, i. e., enter ?the contest and make all of thecojfn you can. - w? forced to work, and forced to do your best, will breed in you tem perance and self control, diligence and strength of will, cheerfulness and content, and a hundred virtues which the idle never know." State Summer School. The announcement from Win Johnstons Four Lyceum Attractions The second attraction of the lyceum course, the Eureka Glee Club, will be given next Tuesday, March 14th at 8:30 p. m.. in the Johnston School Auditorium. The members of the club are not amateurs but have been before the public for ll years, and each is indeed an artist in his line. They never fail to delight their audiences with their varied program of the highest order. The repertoire consists of difficult classical selec tions, both secular and sacred, folk, sentimental, plantation and humorous. The Glee Club claims the largest set of musical chimes of any organiza tion of the kind. A unique and pleasing feature is the. crayon and chalk work of one member of the club. The varied program will provide entertain ment for all. The music lover will be captivated and the fun lover delighted to the fullest. You cannot afford to miss this entertainment by the Glee club, one of the best of the season. Tell your friends about this attraction and urge them to go Remember the time and place Tuesday night, March 14th, in Johnstons School Auditorium. H. D. GRANT, W. C. CURRY, Managers Johnston, - - South Carolina WORK IN THI HOME V01 You Have a Big Opportunit; by Working in The Advei test. We have Added ? Besides the Beautl Let every contestant do her best this week to win the $5.00 in gold. You just have until Saturday night, March 11th, to work for this offer. Now for another one. We will give 5000 free votes for every ten dollars worth of subscriptions sent in by any contestant from March the 7th to March 18th. All sub scriptions dated between the 7th and 11th will count on the free votes, the $5.00 in gold and the handsome prizes to be given at the close of the contest, Why Yon Should Work hi, the Home Contest. You should work in The Adver tiser's great contest for a number of reasons. One reason is on account of the fine hst of prizes offered. With this list of prizes every con testant who really works will be re warded. Then we would call your attention to the fact that it is a home enterprise and that it is gotten up by Mr. Mims on his own accord and because he has faith in his paper and the county's support of it. Edgefield's Best Paper has the Grit to do Things. We are sure that every person in Edgefield county appreciates the fact that The Advertiser has the grit to do things on its own accord and that Mr. Mims is willing to go down in his own pocket in order to offer these opportunities to any who may enter the contest. A Word to the Merchants. v.guiwrvnrtocts SIC UUli uiuu^ui tu the notice of the readers in the field which you may justly consider your own. R. V. Bidez, Contest Mgr. Rules Governing Contest. Rule (l) All collections made by contestants must be turned over to the Contest manager within one week or votes will not be allowed. Rule (2) Subscribers should take receipt for all money given to con testants. Rule (3) The Contest Managers signature must be affixed to votes before same are of any value in contest. Rule (4) Ballots cannot be bought. The Contest will be run on a square IRISH POTATO PLANTING. Select a Loose, Rich, Mellow, Well Drained Soil. Fertilize Liberally. How to Avoid i Scab. Potato planting time is drawing near. This is evidenced by the in quiry just at hand, which asks some practical questions relative to this crop. This first thing of attention is the soil. It is true that the potato has been grown on almost every soil, but this does not lessen the im portance of selecting for the potato the kind of soil best adapted for it. The ideal soil for this crop shonld be one so light as to offer no great resistance to the growing of tubers, and having such supply of organic matter as to contain moisture to furnish an unfailing supply of fer tilizing ingredients A rich, sandy loam, abundantly supplied with or ganic matter, and naturally well drained, is preferable. Stiffer soils may be rendered suitable by drain age and by the incorporation of farm manures; or better still, by plowing under green crops. Very heavy clay should be avoided if the farm contains any lighter soil. New ly cleared ground suits the potato exceedingly well. Sandy soils may be titted for this plant by the addi tion of organic matter. The claim is made that potatoes grown on sandy soil are of a superior quality to those on a stiffer soil. The potato requires a rich soil, but even more important than nat ural fertility, is a proper mechanical condition of the soil. Artificial fer tilizers may be substituted in part for natural fertilizers, but they are effective only when the soil is in such a condition as to furnish a constant supply of water. The po tato should have some of the best toil on the farm, since it is more ex 2 GREAT [TNG CONTEST y to Win a Handsoms Prize rtiser's Great Voting Con Several Beautiful Prizes [ful $400.00 Piano. and fair basis for all. Votes can only be obtained by securing sub seri pti ons, either prepaid or re newals, or by cutting the nomina tion coupon or free voting blank out of the paper. Rule (5) No employee of The Advertiser or a member of his or her family will be permitted to par ticipate either as a nominator or vo ter in the contest. Rule (6) Candidates will not be restricted in securing subscriptions to any territory, but may secure them in any place in the United States. Rule (7) Only one nominating coupon, entitling each contestant to one thousand (lOOO)'votes, will be allowed. Rule (8) All votes must be in The Advertisers office by Saturday midnight of each second week from issue or else they will not be count ed on the minor prizes that will be offered during the contest. Votes cast on these prizes will also count on the piano. Rule (9) Votes once issued can not be transferred to another con testant. Rule (io) Contestants in contest must agree to accept all rules and conditions in the contest Rule (ll) The right is reserved to reject the name of any contes tant for cause, also to alter these rules should the occasion demand. Rule (12) Anv fi??* - mem. until they are cast your standing will not be published. Rule (15) If any party stops his or her paper and transfers it to an other member of the family of the same address it will not count as a new subscription. Scale of Votes. New. 1 year 2,000 Votes. 2 " 5,000 M 3 " 8,000 " 4 " 11,000 44 5 " 15,000 " Renewal and Collections. 1,000 Votes. 25.00 44 4,000 44 5,500 " 7500 . " acting in this respect \ yiri the other crops, and since the ?voduct of an acre is of greater val ue, generally speaking. The success of th j pot ato is large ly dependent on the crops preceding it in the rotation. When the clover, cow peas, or other leguminous crops have been grown, the stubble of the same furnishes a good supply of-ni trogen. Perhaps the best rotation is "that obtained by growing corn after sod and following with pota toes. It is not a good idea to grow over two crops of potatoes in succession on the same ground, although we often find a plot of ground that has been continuously used for potatoes for five or six years, or even longer. This latter course taxes heavily the fertility of the soil, and as a neces sity calls for liberal manuring, and also involves a considerable risk from fungus diseases. A clean crop of potatoes can not, as a rule, be grown on land that pro duced scabby potatoes the preceding year. The germs having once ob tained a hold in the soil must be starved out by growing thereon oth er crops on which the scab has no hold, such as grass or grain. These immune crops should be grown for three or four years befo; e planting in potatoes again. Practical experience has proven that a deep and thorough prepare . tion of the soil is important for this crop. Plowing can scarcely be to: deep, unless the subsoil is brought to the surface in so doing. If practica ble, the plowing should be deeper from year to year. While on an av erage, the tubers are formed within about 6 inches of the top of the ground, the roots feed several in ches deeper. Regarding the manuring, will ad vise liberality in that line, as the (Continued on page 8.)