The farmers' vindicator. (Jackson, Miss.) 1873-1???, 1874-06-26
For the Farmers vindicatorl
Suggestions for Consideration.

suggestions for Consideration.
/ have few scattering thoughts,
which, if told, may set others to thi,.k.
ing; and, from studying our situation,
may be able to point out some way Of
extricating ourselves from the mire
which is overwhelming us all, with
but few exceptions.
When any new idea is suggested,
which requires unity Of action, we are
met with the universal cry, it can't be
done! farmers won't unite. Of all the
words in the English language, hate
can't the worst, but, nevertheless, it
it has its meaning; but Of all words
we use, that one, particularly, should
be used with the most precaution; it
has ruined thousands. We, as farmers,
as land owners, must adopt new
policy, learn new lesson, and how to
learn it, there is the rub; how to unite
on any given course, how to teach the
land owners to unite on any given line
of policy that will teach them they
have head and brains to learn and do
what any one else has learned and done.
There are thousands that would invest
all the money they could command on
what they consider certainty in the
the course of business they have pur-
sued all their lives; but the revolution
has smashed up the old way of doing
business with the Southern planter;
consequently, he must learn new
lesson. Learn how to raise more stock
and less cotton; learn how to fortify
himself behind compost heap, and
make his position impregnable in spite
Of the scarcity of labor. The COW, the
hog, the sheep, the horse, and the OK,
will work for him patiently and prof.
tably if well cared for; but, right here,
! will, by most of your readers, be
met with that hateful word it can't be
done with our present surroundings;
tell them to 60 to work and change the
surroundings, never say can't once
but say it can and shall be done; have
faith. Faith, SO the good book says,
will "remove mountains" but "faith
without works is dead J" will neither
remove mountain or a mole hill.
But enough Of my scolding; man is
what he always has been, suspicious
being, afraid of new things, and new
ways, and charity says forgive him;
but, brother farmers, wake up to your
situation, you have everything at stake
and do not know what to do.
Make a careful survey Of all your
surroundings; get all the information
you can of those who have farmed all
their lives with free labor; get all the
information you can relative to the
stock raising business. Study all the
varieties of the trifolium or three
leaved plants, there is very large
variety Of them natives of the soil
all of them land renovators, and are
easy of propagation. Now is the time
to make blackberry wine; be sure and
save the seed without letting them lie
in the mash until the germ is destroyed;
mix them with rye or red oats; SOW
the mixture as early as possible after
the middle of August, and if you do
not pasture the field too close, the en-
suing year, you will have a blackberry
field that will pay you good interest in
your land. Make use of
sheep to clear the briars from the field
when you wish it cleared they may
require little help in the way of {
breaking the stalks down so they can
get to the leaves, and do not expect
my more of the sheep than he can
10. Look after the three-leaved plants; =
he writer has found them in washes
where the soil has long since disap-
Feared; they appeared to be in their
native element; has particularly no. |,
iced two varieties; one of them with :
he seed now ripe; seed near the size n
# grain Of wheat, stalk some three
eet high; on another variety stalk
low some two feet high, of luxuriant
appearance, ON land where there is not G
. vestige of any other living plant; +
oppose it will seed in the fall; have
Employed freedman to look after it ;
will try to have both plants tested.
Brother farmers, use your brains, with
he help of your eyes, your ears, your
lands, and your feet. God has placed
he means within your reach, to make
our calling and election sure, both
and spiritually. Will you
10 it2 II. =
Terry, June IS, 1874.