The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1868-06-07

of labor.
The readiest way to convince our farming
population of its errors is by the visible
application Of superior methods. If ono of
them should see scientific farmer take two
acres of his worn out land and produce from
it five times as valuable a crop as he would
get from twenty acres of the same land, he
might undergo a radical change in all his
old, cherished notions. Nothing short Of
sight would be apt to convince him that a
sugar-cane crop is worth twice as muchas
cotton crop, that cabbages are worth twice
as much as sugar-cane, with the same labor, |
and strawberries twice as much as cabbages.
Theorizing will never satisfy him that five
dollars worth of manure will produce sixty |
bushels of corn on an acre that would other
wise stop at fifteen bushels.
These things can be taught successfully |
by persons only who understand them
| practically. We need the infusion in our
population of teaching element, and yet
that element is not encouraged to immi- |
crate. Our planters and farmers clamor for
labor, not for instruction. They would
like, too, to obtain skilled labor, but do not
strive to obtain intelligence and enterprise
with it. To get men with these qualities
they must offer other inducements than
good wages. Such men wish to labor for
themselves-not for others--and proprietors
would do we'll to encourage their settlement
among them merely for the sake of their
example.
Such men complain, however, that they
can not get foothold. One of them in
formed us, the other day, that he had been
induced to come South by the cordial tone
of Southern papers in their invitations to
Northern immigration. He had been, for
several weeks, endeavoring to purchase
few acres of land eligibly situated on a nav
igable stream not very far from the city.
His efforts had been unavailing, and he was
returning, after having entirely abandoned
his intentions. No one would sell few
acres only, though willing to sell whole
place. This required more outlay than
suited the plans of our informant, who
merely wanted twenty acres for strawberries
r and fruit. He appeared to be a master of
his business, and his success would have
made the fortune of any proprietor who
might have let him have the requisite land
even without any price
The success of such an experiment as he
=, contemplated would have immensely en-
c HANGED the value of land throughout the
: neighborhood, besides giving an example of
scientific culture, open to the imitation of
/. all. The history of pine lands in New Jer-
It sew, similar in their character to the poorest
e sections of our own State, shows conclusive
n ly that this anticipation is not fanciful. The
Il most valuable crops of the United States,
y for an equal extent of territory, if we are
n not misinformed, are now produced in New
= Jersey, on lands formerly ranked as sterile
it sandy, pine barren.
ell In some States great strides in improve
is ments have been produced by public-spir
n tied offers of premiums for success in differ
is ent departments. More than one hundred
ne bushels of corn to the acre was raised il
Id Kentucky, many years ago, under the stI
he mulus of u premium to be given at a fail
g. Each person that strives for such reward
he more than repaid for his outlay by his sue
he cess, even though surpassed by some on
of else, and the spirit of improvement become
ne general. If our State Legislature or Stat
Fair would offer five hundred dollars pre-
he MUM for the best agricultural result i'll som
NJ twenty different cases, it would be ten thou
ill sand dollars well bestowed. The offering
mt such reward for the best acre of sugar
ct cane, of ramie, of the castor bean, of rice
IT. of Irish potatoes, of sweet potatoes, of corr
nd of strawberry, etc, would produce a spir
cir of inquiry, confidence, and enterpri.
ny very general in its influence, highly profit
ill able in it's results, and, to some extent, e
on frctiny the reform that would he wrougl
ch by intelligent immigration.