Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-03-26
FARM AND GARDEN.
SOUTHERN AND NORTHERN FARM.

Southern farmers would study Moth
ern farm management and economy,
and Northern farmers study the agri-
cultural theory and practice Of South
ern planters and farmers. This would
add materially to the useful knowledge
of both sections; although the South,
by its superior climate and larger area,
would be likely to reap the greater ben
efts. In 1860, before slavery was abol-
ished, there 245, 100000 acres in farms
In fifteen slave States, of which a.
100000 were In nominal cultivation;
while in the free States there were but
159,000,0 900 acres in farms, and $780,
900 acres in cultivation. The farms of
the South averaged three hundred and
twenty acres, and those of the North
one hundred and twenty-six acres.
These figures show that with farms
only little more than one-third as
large as those Of the South, Northern
formers had nearly twenty per cent.
more land under cultivation than South
ern farmers had. What is "cultiva-
tion," as the word is used and under
stood In New York, Pennsylvania,
Tennessee and Georgia? AT the North
land in grass, whether in meadow or
improved pasture, is regarded as in
cultivation. In the planting States SO
little attention is given to European
grasses that land in pasture or-meadOw
from the growth of these plants would
hardly be called cultivated ground.
The value of these European crops, and
the remarkable eheapness with which
they are raised from year to year, as
compared with our great staples, corn,
cotton and tobacco, are what we aim to
signalize and press on the readers at
tention. a-
In 1860 the farms of Georgia COM
prised $3.50, 400 acres, considerably
less than one-third of which was in
nominal cultivation; and their average
value in slavery times, with alarge crop
of cotton in 1859, was five dollars and
eighty-nine cents per acre. AT that
time the farms of New York contained
20,974,95S acres, of which more than
two-thirds were improved" and
their average value was tbir-
ty.nine dollars and twenty
five cents. There is not a crop
grown in New York that may not be
raised in some portions of Georgia,
even that of apples to be exported to
Europe and elsewhere, which is known
to Re the most profitable crop raised in
the Empire State of the North. Why
then wire about twenty million acres
in farms in this Northern State worth
over eight hundred million dollars,
while over twenty-six and a half mil
lion acres of farms in Georgia, where
cotton. rice and sugar cane are easily
grown, and needed everywhere, were
worth less than one hundred and sixty
million dollars? Did the farmers of
Georgia before the war handle their
farms to the best possible advantage:
We think not. If you impose the
whole tax of $40 acre farm in the
South on "A acres of TILED ground IN
corn, cotton and small grains, with the
necessary support of several families
to work the land in part and own it in
part, you create demand on the soil
that viii sooner or later impoverish it.
But draw your annual support for man
and beast, and money for taxes from
$50 acres, leaving 20 in timber and all
may have higher standard of comfort,
lay by hard cask made by legitimate
farming every year and at the same
time increase the supply of plant food
in the surface soil instead of
yearly diminishing it. Our
plan gives the Southern farmer
$50 acres of improved and highly pro-
ductive land with about the same ex-
pense for labor that he now has "a
acres of impoverished soil under the
pillow. Practically, the first named sys-
TEN of tillage and husbandry trans
forms good land into !poor, old fields,
generally not worth five dollars per
acre. At the last State census of
New York 1865 the grain crops of
that State were returned as worth
s175,O00,0O0; hay and potatoes at $780,
100000; while the dairy products of
milk sold, butter, cheese and meat,
made largely from milk and surplus
fruits and vegetables, brought millions
which we cannot count.
We submit that, whether 100 acres of
land are worth $500 or 1000, depends
very much ON a mans ability to keep
up the soils fertility and make it pay
good interest on the sums named. On
studying this problem, we find that all
real value lies more IN kHOavIedge and
IN the brain than in the climate, the soil
or any any cash capital. When the
South had two thousand million dollars
in slaves, some millions of Northern
farmers and others thought that by
simply abohshing slavery and employ
ing the same laborers as freemen,
Southern plantations and smaller farms
would appreciate enough to pay for
the slaves liberated, with a vast.
ly greater gain in immediate
prospect. The result shows how little
they knew of the great and weighty
matter they were assuming to control
But what is past berecalled; ana
let us see if we can show how seventy
four acres in tillage crops, or even fifty
which is better, and two hundred il
pasture and meadow on three hun
dred and twenty acre farm may b,