Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1870-11-19
Montgomery Farmers Climb.


The Montgomery Farmcrs' Club
m ct at White Chapel, Saturday, Nov.
18th, ). u. Killebrew In the Chair.
was larger than usual,
and great interest was manifested in
regard to the discussion of the pres
ent labor in the country.
The President thought II trans
cended in Importance every other
question of the present time. The
pernicious system OF cropping had
vitiated the whole labor In the coun-
try, and was fast running both the
white and colored population. Money
had become painfully scarce, and
anything like thrift among farmers
was nowhere tn be seen. Farm build
ings were becoming dilapidnted, fenc-
ing rotting down, and the soil of the
country was becoming Impoverished
because of the manner of employing
labor. And more than all, improved
farms are now selling for less sum
per acre than would be required to
clear and fence them. 1t was time
something was done, or In q few
years sufficient sum would not be
realized from our farms to pay taxes.
Mr.. Vaughn concurred with the
President, and had been struck with
the difference between those farms
where labor was hired for specified
time, ami those where they worked
for u part of the crop. In one of the
most flourishing neighborhoods of
Logan county, Ky, the system of
cropping on the shares had long since
been discarded, and farmers were
raising larger crops of everything.
The system of cropping also had u
tendency to encourage idleness and
inattention to business, and where
laborers had to provide their own sus-
tenance, rs under this system, they
frequently made the rations for one
person supply their whole families.
OF course, under such circumstances,
the laborer had not sufficient vigor 10
do good days work, and the conse-
quence was that all the preparations
for farming were of no avail or profit.
Capt. Ross was satisfied it was q
disadvantage to both races. The me-
gro was generally discontinued with
Ills share of the crop, and the EN-
ployer could sec no profit arising from
| his invest ment. He was convinced
that hiring for money and paying
promptly was the only method of Sc
curing good labor. He never suffered
any dead heads to reside on his farm.
| If he furnished them houses, they
had to work when he desired 1t. One
idler on place will breed discomfort
among twenty, and it was an estab-
lished rule with him, that all must
work on his place. He thought we
owed it to ourselves and to the negro
to adopt this course. Farmers, crop
ping on the shares, did not feel as
much interest as when they were
paying money for their labor. II
u man was worth button he would
stay with his hands when he had to
pay money for their work"
In illustration of this system o.
cropping, one of the members stated
that n neighbor of his, in 1866, furn'
ished IL stack OF oats to his cropper,
who thrpshed them ont and sOwed
them. The crop, after being reaped,
made two stacks, one of which went
to the cropper and one to the employ
er. The employer purchased the stack
belonging to the cropper to feed with
and saved his for seed. The next
year the cropper took the employers
and sowed and reaped the same
amount as the previous year. AND
thus it has gone on for several years
the employer evidently thinking h,
is making "a good thing of it."
Mr.. Dawson never tried the system
but once, and he exhausted his owl
and cropper's share of the corn crol
before christmas. He also believed
the market was always depressed to
wards the close of the year, for al
farm produce, because there were 81
many troopers who were compelled
to sell their produce in order to live
If the system was abolished, Their
would not be such u rush in tn,
market OF corn, potatoes, etc, an'
T farmers could obtain remunerativ
prices for their produce.
Col. Cypert, of Christian county
Ky, stated that both systems wer
practiced in his county, but hirini
both parties, and he was satisfied
from his own experience, that N
, profit was to be realized from tn
, cropping system.
On motion of Mr. Dudley, a com
mittee was appointed to issue an ad
dress to the farmers of Montgomer
county, urging upon them the nece-
sity for u concert Of action in thi
I matter; and calling u Convention {
farmers to meet in Clarksville at a.
, early date
q TIE following committee was az
: pointed r.. B. Ross, DIR. Dawson, II
+ NJ. Dudley, Fiuis Ewing; and, q