Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1876-03-11


Mich cows .-................. 60, 35G |
Land, acres ...-.......-.-. 6,3l6,300 |
Land, value ...-...-. 90, 2l7 500 |
The wheat and corn crops were largely |
increased in 1879, the county of Gibson !
alone producing 3O5, 900 bushels of wheat.
1t is probable all these figures are below
the reality, as they were taken from the
census of 1870, which was in many re-
spects inaccurate, especially so far as the
Southern States were concerned. The
qauntity and value of the land were from
the Comptrollers report of 1873.
FALL PLoUGHING.
If were asked what is the remedy for
poor crops, 1 would say good fall pIow-
ing. Land plowed deeply and subsoiled
in the months.of October, November and
December, will stand a drought the next
summer much better than land as it is
usually cultivated. Deep fall blowing
destroys insects, causes the land to pull
verize by freezing as deep as it is plowed
and makes reservoir, as it were, to hold
water for next years use. Experience
shows that land cultivated in this manner
produces in many instances hundred per |
cent more than land cultivated in the |
usual manner. Every farmer should |
have Mt least one third of his land in |
peas, clover and small grain, so that he
could turn it under in the fall without |
interfering with the gathering of crops. |
Cora might also be cut and shocked in |
September, so as to have the land well
plowcd in the fall, as this is the season
best suited for breaking up land. You
may rely upon it, that shallow blowing
in the winter and spring, when the
r-~n"na- Is ian had condition. will continue
to result in poor crops and wearing cut
the land
1t would be economy to have extra
teams and extra hands if Necessary, to Sc
cure good blowing in the fall, so as to
have the land thoroughly prepared at
that time, and this would save an i'm
mense amount of labor the next spring
and summer, besides securing better
crops. If fewer acres were planted, the
yield would be much greater. An album
dance of good work stock, well taken
care of, is essential to successful farming.
HOG, SHEEP AND CATTLE RAISING.
No country is better adapted to hog,
sheep and cattle raising than West Ten
nessee. There are hundreds of thousands
of acres of land in West Tennessee that
might be set in Bermuda or other grasses
and become the very best pastures for
sheep, hogs and cattle. These lands are
now nearly worthless, having been al
most ruined by excessive cotton cHltiva- |
., ka IL.
only furnish fine pasturage in the spring, |
summer and fall, but would afford dur
the wet months of the winter and early
spring, most excellent protection
against mud, on account of its heavy sod.
This grass is also, a fertilizer, second
only to clover, and would reclaim and en-
rich land that no other grass can. The
popular opinion is that this grass, when
it once takes hold, can never be destroy
ed. This is a great mistake. Properly
managed, it is rs easily destroyed as any
other crop. Hon. c. c. LangdOn, one of |
the ablest agriculturalists of Alabama, has |
proved this fact by innumerable exam
pies, and his testimony is far more valu- |
able than the mere opinions of men who |
have had no experience. There are, |
however, many thousands of acres of
land in West Tennessee where this grass |
ought never to be destroyed, for it is the |
only thing that will make that land of
any value. To shOw the advantages |
which stock countries have over these |
where there is no stock, let us compare !
the same counties i'll Middle and West
Tennessee that were mentioned before.
Middle Tennessee. West Tennessee.
No. Acres, l,4OO,339 l,565,5l5 !
- Sheep, 1855 S,63S |
- Swine, 1924 I4S,7O7 !
Val. of land pr. acre, $l4 9S $40 81 !
1t may be said we cannot raise hogs, |
because if we attempt it they will be sto-
len. If hogs are well taken care of, kept |
on good pastures, closely watched and |
regularly fed, there is very little danger |
that they will be stolen, but when they |
ara permitted to run at large on the COM
mons, with but little care and attention, |
it may be expected that they will be lost.
If anything is worth having it is worth
being attended 70, and this is all we need
to make hog raising success. If meat
is very scarce, and very high, there are
inducements to steal it that there are not
when it is cheap and abundant. If eve
ry man would raise hogs extensively
there would be very little hog stealing.
If hogs can be raised successfully in Mid
die Tennessee, where the character of
the population is similar to that in West
Tennessee, there is no reason why, with
the same care, they may not be raised in
West Tennessee with equal success. If !
the CockrilIs and Overtons of Davidson, |
the Campbell Browns, Gibsons and Far |
lans, of Maury, can raise sheep, hogs and !
cattle protitably, on land worth from 1if-
~ to one hundred dollars per acre, why
may they not DC raised more prOtitably on
land in West Tennessee, equally rs well
adapted to those purposes, that can be
bought ut from five to twenty dollars per
acre? l have barely glanced ut these
important subjects, and refer you to elab-
crate essays ON them, written by skilled,
practical farmers, and successful sheep,
hog and cattle raisers.
WHAT CONSTITUTES A FARMER.
To be perfect farmer, a man should
combine reading, observation and prac-
ticc. y man may work in the fields all
his life and be poor farmer. We should
gain knowledge BY reading and study,
and also by what we see around Us, and
then our knowledge should be put into
practice. Our views, if they will not
stand the test of actual experience, are
worthless. All sound theory is based
upon practice, and all sensible practice
is the result of accurate information,
whether learned by our own observation
or from the experience OF others. That
theory which will not stand the test of eX-
perience is worthless, and that practice
which is not in accordance with sound
theory, is equally worthless. Having
been born and brought up on a farm, and
having in former days been actually and
actively engaged in the cultivation of the
soil, naturally feel deep interest in
whatever concerns agriculture, which is
the basis of our wealth. The occupation
of an educated, intellectual and practi-
cal farmer whose home is the abode of
comfort, and who 80 improves his land as
RI make II WELD more from wear 70 year,