The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1872-02-22
Reply to q. A. Hunt.
FARMERS CRoss ROADS. t,
FEBRUARY lgtb. 1870 (

statements that did not think dpropos.
In attempting to point his error ont tc
those Tor whom his article WAS intended, !
gave what | believed to be u better sys-
TEN. In so doing there AS formed II plain
issue between us Oh the subject he pIo-
posed to throw light on. ! felt then, MS !
do now, that had sufficient reasons to
sustain my position. ! therefore, In as
pointed u manner rs thought necessary,
called on Him for the reasons that he re-
lied on to sustain his system, promising.
at the same time, not to withhold mine;
but he has evadtd the issue --dodged the
question. | therefore feel at liberty to
withhold the reasons that | have held in
reserve. Mr. Hunt, however, is frank
enough to give you the practical results of
his oat-raising system lie says: II do
not make many oats. have none to sell.
have to buy. My neighbors find Il mar
ket At home, for they know that | an
ready to buy the amount | need" He fur
Their statcs: II am now hard up for cow
teed, and would like to buy from Col. NJ
In reply, | have to say, If lie will come to
the X Roads, with the ready comc-down
in his flank" he can get oats. If he will
adhere to my system, he can hereafter
have oats Ito keep and SELL" In view of
all this, your correspondent is reckless
enough t q propose to bet the proceeds of
an acre of oats that his system will pro-
duce a more abundant yield than mine. |
am tempted to pick up the dropped glove,
for | feel confident that your friend and
correspondent would have To shell next cat
harvest. 1t take the offered bet ard win
his oats. ! fear he will not vote for NE 1T
the ensuing fall election. | must, there.
fore. decline his proposition.
Bear with me a moment, while brie;-
" examine the principle upon which he
says money can be kept at home," which
he states would be encouraging 10 the far
mer. His views on this item of political
economy are as Objectionable as his Wild
oat theory. But hear him. He says lit is
encouraging to farmers to keep money at
some" This, he says, is done by him when
he buys his %neighbor's surplus. a farmer
who has to buy agricultural products from
his neighbor farmer shows himself to be u
consumer, and not a producer-a drone IN
the hive. This ought not so to be. The, e
can be no thrift or prosperity in this or
any other country in which the value of
the exports does NOT exceed the value of the
imports. In other words: If MIR. Hunt. or
amy one else whose business is farming,
consumes the surplus of his %neighbor far
mers, lie is an injury, and not i benefit to
the community. for the simple reason that
he, us u farmer, is not self-sustaining. lie
consumes the surplus of his neighbor, in
stead of allowing it to go abroad to be eX-
changed for money or other commodies aE
cannot be produced at home. The true
principle Of getting at the thrift and
prosperity of a community is found by
comparing the debt and credit of the com
munity. Charge Franklin county witt
what she consumes that is produced be-
yond her bounds and brought within
them to supply her wants, and credit hel
with what she produces and has to send of
to supply q demand beyond her limits
and you have the key to Ter financial con-
,lition. The man, the family, or the com
munity that is simply self sustaining does
ueH. But the man, family, or community
that makes a surplus does better. And
thos, who fall short of - living are eli
ther to be piticd or scorncd at. A. their sur
roundings Indicate. A pertinent question
for all to consider during these hard times
is. Are we living within our means? Do
the exports of Franklin county exceed the
imports?
When Mr.. Hunt. or anybody Of Frank
lin county. expends his money within the
county, she has neither gained nor lost by
the transaction. But we will hasten from
this way-side item OF his, and examine his
corn-raising theory. Here it is in full
fNoTE.-We omit this because 1t has been
! published. and Sol. NJ" gives the sub
stance thereof in his subj0ined reply.-ED
JOURNAL.
Mr.. Hunt says: If you have 100 acres
use only 80 for corn. Use the other 90 fol
Glove +, grasses, &c. He lla, certainly made
an of-land shot here. 1t you observe hi
advice, you will have to cultivate your en-
tire 100 acres every other year, or plan
no corn some years. l can not take hi
advice in this style of proportioning land
A better proportion would be % acres II
corn, and The IS remaining acres in differ
ent kinds of small grain and grasses. II
this way, you have your land in corr ever.
lour wears. and for three years out of fOul
your land can he improved, by crops tina
will be profitable. A system Of farming
by which lands can be preserved, and eve
improved, without expensive manure
should not be lost sight OF.
regret to say, that his style of preparing
land for planting, is not free from object
ion, but this is more reasonable than tn
system of cultivation that he recommends
His way Of preparing land for plantlni
corn, is to throw In beds by blowing dec
with bull-tonguc and turning plow.
r the soil is very deep. and the almanac ma
unerringly foretells a drouth during IN
corn season. then I argue with Mr. IL. tha
: deep blowing is desirable. Otherwls
: dispense with the ridges or beds. ii
tells you to commence cultivatins you
corn when it is G or 8 Inches high. on
short and implicit sentence gives you''
entire ileans Of observation-disclosures
= is all that is necessary" If Mr.. IL. pra'
: tees what lie breaches, in view of his pla