The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1867-12-13
NUMBER So.
The Plan of Farming for Next Year.


all the information from the different South
eru States, the crops of this year are fair
particularly the provision crops. Ia some
localities, droughs have prevailed. which
have cut short the crops to some extent
but so far, failure has not been reported.
10 other localities, too much rain has fallen,
injuring the cotton crop somewhat. But
on the whole, we have much to be thank
ful for. as our people viii at least be sup
piled with provisions from their own fields
The freedmen have worked better than last
year, and generally complied with their
contracts more faithfully /; but still they
are far short Of what laborers should be,
who are paid for their labor, where servfc6
is required for stipulated labor. Time
must, of course, remedy this deficiency
unless the political status of the negro
turns his mind and attention from ieId la
Dor to political duties. We have much to
fear from this new state of things, but as We
have, TO some extent, ORercone other ap-
pretended difficulties, We may get through
this better than now anticipated. Sill,
when we know their love for gatherings,
excitement, and any excuse to get from
work, we cannot but believe wa shall suf
fer next year, for want of steady labor In
our CT ops, that need incessant labor until
made. In view of such, had not the plaa-
ters and farmers better guard against it,
by planting small crops to the hand, thzs
can be cultivated without much strain to
| to the laborers, so if some of his hands
should leave him and take up with politi-
/ cal gatherings, those remaining can finish
/ the cultivation of the crop.
1 will now address myself more particu-
| larly to the up-country farmers, as the sea-
son is at hand for eomhehcihg our labors,
by sowing the wheat crop It strikes mo
that the up-country farmers for our next
crop, should plant as small as possible, such
crops as require long and steady culture.
Plant ouly such corn crop as will require
but two steady lsborers to cultivate 1t, and
make the yield, By thorough preparation Of
the ground, by blowing and manuring;
make up for quantity of ground usually
planted heretofore. In other words, say,
select thirty acres ofgood land for corn,
and by preparing it thoroughly by deep
and close plowing, and heavy manuring, 1t
will produce fully as much, if not more
that sixty acres, planted in our usual way.
/ By this plan. you save the hiring Of tS0
hands. aud the use of TWO horses, and make
thirty acres produce what usually sixty
acres did. Such is certainly making an
Investment pay more remaneratively in
land and labor and product, than what we
have formerly been accustomed to, under
our present and former system Of mahage-
ment and this is what must all come to,
sooner or later with the hired labor, 10
make it pay. Our policy is toPlant as snail
as possible, of such crops requiring ince5-
sant culture. Cotton. discard as market
crop, and put in large wheat crop, which
requires no labor in cultivation, after it has
been sown, and can be harvested, threshed
out aad prepared for market by horse pow
ers, reapers and threshers-a JOB soon
over, with the use of such machinery
Also, SOW down largely of clover and grass,
and raise all the stock we can, of cattle.
colts, sheep and hogs and by no means
overlook our orchards, as fruit can be made
very profitable as a market crop. If we
adopt this system of management, we re-
quire but few laborers, and we improve our
lands vastly by sowing down such pro-
ducts as only save them from washing
away, but improve them with grass and
clover and stock and in few years We
will see our farms as productive as they
ever were, aud in a state of preservation
and fertility that will increase their durae
bilitY and value every year instead Of run.
ming down and becoming waste lands.
Such is the plan have adopted for my
self, and have all confidence in its being
the safest aud most reuuneratiye, in the
present unsettled state Of labor and poli-
tics. At any rate, shall have but few
laborers to worry with, and such crops
that depend moro on seasons than culture,
after being properly put in the ground.