The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1875-09-10

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IT is time for our people to begin to
look out for new ways to save money.
The recent hard times as it is called,
is really nothing but the natural result
of living beyond our means by the farm
ing or agricultural classes. We, the
farmers of the South, have neglected our
duty in disregarding the necessity of
raising food crops, and have devoted
ourselves almost entirely to producing a
crop that gives Us ready money with
which to crafty our tastes. We have
almost ceased to produce meat for our
own sustenance and that of our iaborers.
We have looked entirely to the West for
this main stay of the planters profess
sion. Not only meat but also corn has
been supplied to Us from the Wabash
valley and the prairie lands of Illinois
and Indiana. There is no permanent
ros,nerity in farming until the farm is
self 81 sta ming. If we purchase our
meat and gain it creates fearful waste
of strength in pur plow animals, for no
man will feed the Abundance of hay and
fodder and corn necessary to keep pillow
stock in excellent working order when
he has to draw out the money and pay
one and Quarter dollars for corn and
two cents per pound for hay. We do
mt say cotton and other money crops
npss not be raised, but We do emphati =
caily declare they must be made subor-
dinate to the food crops. Pat your corn,
wheat rye, and oats and peas in the
good places on your farm, and be sure
to put in sufficient to keep the stomach
of every animal on your place full the
year round, and have good comfortable
stables and barns. 1t will pay you to
live in an indiferenS house yourself
better than to keep youE stock halt
frozen and always exposed during bad
weather. Having enough food TOR man
and beast first, we then say put in all the
cotton you can work well, remembering
that one acre, we'll MANFRED and well
worked, will produce more than three
acres the way we have been doing 1t.
Stop the leaks on your farm. The great
est of all leaks and the heaviest burden
| you have to bear is the Fence. If we
can only save the time and money de-
voted to making and keeping fences II
repair, we could stand twenty per cent.
more State and county tax and not growl
The destruction of timber in making
rails is enormous; the labor of hauling
| them onerous, and the expense of
both and building the fence, is fearful.
Let us profit by the experience of others
and in all parts of our county where it is
practicable, especially that part lying
West of Bolivar and South of Hatchie
bottom, let the farmers study this matter
and then meet together and see if we
cannot hit upon a good plan to save our
selves this enormous expense. The
abolishing of fences will save US more
money than any one has an idea Of The
cost in cash and labor to make the fences
in HardemaR is greater than that to pur-
| SAlAcO OH SLiS oSOShi VI ONOAJ AALO3 Al GAO
county. If we once adopt the plan of
fencing up live stock in pastures and
leaving the crops out, we will never give
it up. Wherever it has been tried, with
determination, it has never been aban =
doned. AS to depre dations by outsiders
and vicious persons, they would be no
greater than at present, and one or two
indictments would stop it. With fenses
all around Us every farnez knows he has
to 60 on guard to Keep them up after
hunters aRd idIGrs. Each year brings
its loss from 1res scattered by fools out
hurting for game which does not pay fOr
the powder it is killed with. Let the far
/ mers act like business men one does not
see the merchant build enormous ware.
houses to keep handful of goods. Then
why should farmers fence up hundreds
of acres of land to keep stock that could
be cared for on an acre per head ? BE
men of business and let this plan be one
of your new ways to save money, and
you will never regret it.