The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1875-04-23
TILLAGE HUs
BANDRY.
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subjects, we again call their attention to
the inevitable results of our present de-
structive mode of tillage.
Deeply impressed with the destruction
threatening the interests of the present
population OF our county, and what is
even worse, the very comfort and we'll
being of our children, through our pres
ent unwise and injudicious practice in
tillage and in husbandry, we feel i'm
PEELED to utter the warning that we are,
agriculturally speaking, on the down
grade to ruin, that there is danger
ahead, and, unless we check our speed,
put on the brakes, and even reverse the
engine. we are bound to be wrecked, with
all those who are on board with US.
Shall we pop on more steam, manufac
tured from explosive cotton, to hurry up
and bring about the dreaded catastropheS
Or shall we not, as sensible men,
check up-evcn to a standstill-remove
the difficulty and start anew under better
and more favorable auspices2 There is
but ono way to safety for the tiller of
the soil. To prosper he must diversity
his crops, He must raise his bread and
meat; he must put into bis land some>
thing to keep it in good heart-and this
great want is manure, either as stable
yard, OF green crop turned under. A
systematic and judicious rota ton of
crops must be adopted, in viii CHI more
plant-foOd shall be put back into the
ground in two years out of five than is
taken out by the other three money
crops This Will keep up the productive
capacity Of our lands to a point where
farming will be remunerative even I'M
der the disadvantage of high>priced and
ineff cient labor. There is something
eloe it will do 1t WILL as a natural con-
sequence, bring about the raising of
stock sufficient to supply our necessities,
and retain in our pockets The money de-
rived from our reduced cotton crop,
which now goes abroad This iudicious
rotation will fill our barns to repletion,
and enlarge our manure piles or rather
We do not wish to make any one feel
buddy. We are as deep in the mud ours
selves as others are in the mire, but there
is too much at stake in this thing to
mince matters. How many acres of till
ed land is there in Hardeman county
that have never, since reduced to cults
walton, received one shovel full Of gems
eCous manure For forty years some
of our acres have been drawn upon tor
crops, without putting back any plant
food into the gradually impoverished
earth. Suppose you had $1,000 in bank
and drew out yearly 500 of the same,
without ever putting any more back into
your capital how long would it be before
yOur drafts would be dshonored with
NNo funds on hand - Your land is
your agricultural bank. See to 1t that
your drafts or (should it hold out so long,
your children's drafts, shall not, in the
future, be dishonOred. Rotation, deep
blowing and grass-which Is the Princi,
pal-will put into your bank what is
needed to make your capital strong
enough to stand q draft, more heavily
each succeeding year, for thousand
years to come. We are, apparently, do
ing thriving buSiness-SI ,25O,OOO made
yearly upon cotton alone. Do you think
this is all proft2 If you will consid er
at what cost this moHey is bought, in loss
of fertility to our invaluable soil, in the
loss of manure, in the loss of beef, pork
bacon, lard, milk, butter and cheese; in
the loss of corn, wheat, -four, potatoes
oats and rye in the loss of mule and
horse flesh, and fail ure to raise a new
supply; in the loss of hides leather and
bone phosphate and IN eUerything else
that is made out of grass, you will be-
gin to realize the fact that Hardeman
county farmers, by excluding these crops
to give more room for cotton, are paying
not less than Is per cent. for all the
money they annually purchase with cot
ton besides having brought about such
moneyless condition that they are com-
PEELED to pay 10 per cent more for all the
money they may be forced TO borrow ;
that instead of living upon what some
think their profits upon farming, they
are actually living away their entire
capital.
The 81 100000, yearly proceeds from
cotton, crosses the border to procure the
very things we should have produced on
the farm, and we have simply 5ridgeI
oUer the wants of another year by, minus
a serious loss in the fertility of our soils,
and minus the cost Of transportation
both ways, goiBg and coming, on the
things that we should have produced at
home No farmer can long stand such
losses. The remedy for these things is
in our own hands Let US thank God
that it is so, and not within the control
ef others. lie: US counsel together and
remedy the evils before it is forever be-
yond our power