Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-02-21
AGRICULTURAL
DgsFsIioatioB Of Agricultural Industry
Answer 10 "surRt Baby"

Editors ADpeGL-Did you ever hear
the story of the Carolina boy and the
gopher? AS g matter of course not.
1t runs in this way: A traveller pass
ing through the piny woods region Of
Carolina, discovered a freckle-faced,
white-headed boy intently watching
a trap near a hole in the ground. Rid
ing up, the party inquired of the boy
( what he was doing. Watching for
a gopher" responded the UrChin.
'sDO you think you'll catch him?'
| asked the gentleman. "C0tch him!"
answered the boy, "YOU bet pu
| catch 'im-O3W folks are out Of Ulsdtt'
1t is not my purpose to make light
/ Of a serious subject, but the condition
! of the South is somewhat like that Of
Tour fOlks-OW of HteCJ.' This paper
is 10 discuss the subject OF diversified
husbandry, objected to by OUr friend
Burnt Baby" and to show that it is
quite as easy to raise hay as cotton,
and that hay is the ground work Of
good farming in every country in the
world except this, and here we make
no money and are tout of meat" To
begin with, let us establish what con-
stitutes practical and impracticable
people. We follow farming OF plant
ing not as an amusement or pastime,
but to make money. The true practi-
cal man will endeavOr to MOrOUgbly
understand his business (nO matter
what it Isl, in all its branches, and
endeavOr to make every cent from il
possible. If he finds this or that I'M
profitable limpractiCable) he will
abandon it and do otherwise. Now
it occurs to me that we have faith
fully tried the experiment of eXces-
sivecOttOn production with free negro
labor aud found it impracticable
therefore it is the policy of wise, prac-
ticable people to pursue that system
no further; but turn about and dis
cover some other method of employ
ing our capital Qands) which will
prove r~emUnerattve. This is what we
practical men teach, and what the Wis
IOnary men viii not agree with. Like
brOken-dOWn gamblers, they still
hope for q kind deal.
Our friend will not deny that the
soils OF West Tennessee We're rich when
they were settled upon, and the for
ests feUed; fand he viii not deny that
they are now greatly impoverished,
1 might say very badly butchered up,
run down and almost DESTROYED:
that 10 consequence Of this bad treat
ment our lands have but little real
value. Now / ask him what brought
about this condition? was it done by
practicalO or impracticablep eOple ?Prac- /
tical, he viii answer, for they were
born and raised to the business-of
land destroying. We answer, keep
ing their entire farms under the plow
when three-hfth5 should have been
resting; who never adopted anv svs-
tenn whatever of rotation, making
or saving manure; who never ploWed
deeper than two inches; who never
knew the meaning Of the word soiling
and who never produced a pound of
meat for sale, except by mere acct
dent. Under thisssystem, / say, they
have succeeded in destroying the
wealth Of the soil, and yet they are
held up as practical men, whose
teachings and examples are worthy Of
being followed. Our friend tells US
that il viii not do to raise corn, as it
viii bring but little, and the freights
would aOnsume that little. A truly
practical man would answer that
avery seven and q hall bushels OF corn
viii produce 100 pounds Of pork,
which can be drjUen to market, and
that the manure left behind is OF vital
Importance. He induced his partner
to try peas and it resulted in loss!
What would q practical farmer say TO
this2 that a crop known to be the
best reneWer and renOvatOr Of soils,
the most valuable for feeding,
and one which grows with the
least care and attention, had resulted
in failure. He would simply laugh
at the absurdity of the proposition, I
and say that the party might possibly
know the empirical formula of rails
ing cotton and corn, but was totally