The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1877-07-05
nirersined Farming.

The author, Col. John II. Dent, one
of Georgia's most intelligent and success
full farmers, now far advanced in lie,
contributes this excellent article to that
valuable paper, the Southern Plantation /;
and we commend it to the attention OF
all southern farmers:
My last was clutioning against such
large crops of cotton being planted, az
ruinous to the agricultural welfare of the
s)uth The Plantation of the 9th, in
the editorial department has an ed torial
headed, " A twenty acre farm wherein
is shown by planting five acres in corn,
five acres in cotton, five acres in wheat,
five acres in fruit, vegetables and truck
patches, by a system of high farming.
what can be done. The amount of crops
indicated are seasonable in the estimates
made, and any energetic, industrious
young man can make such crops on fair
farming lands. The editor further re-
marks, Contrast that result with the
account of the city gentleman, who has
every thing TO buy. Even though the
latter may get good salary, he Will not
have as much ready money left at the
end of the year, and the writer may
have added, or the farmer that is culu-
waiting a four hundred acre farm, and
making cotton his special crop. The
twenty acre farm is an illustration of
diversified farming, and il is as true as
any certain fact, that the only way to
iarm successfully is to diversity the crops
and in accordance with my experience
it can be prohtably done on iarm OF
two hundred acres in cultivation, but
where il is done on two hundred acre
farm, at least eighty acres should be put
down to small grain crops. sixty to com,
fifty to cotton, and ten acres to truck
crops--my ia, h sr maintains that two hun
dred acres is a farm large enough for any
farmer to cultivate with hired labor, If
he wants to farm successfully.
This brings me TO the subject, diversi.
fed farming, which I have advocated
and recommended ever since the emanci-
patton Of slavery. The farmers capital
now chiefly consist in his farm and stock,
and his intereStsis in improving his lands
and making them more productive and
valuable every year. TINS can only be
done by diversified crops, aud stock 30
furnish him manures, for If he allows his
farm to run down and get less productive,
his capital is being diminished, and his
income less as much. A provident farmer
will keep an eve to keeping of his lands.
knowing that his success is dependent on
their fertility-acd any rejecting farmer
will soon discover that it will take the
be st OF management, and most untiring
energy and industry, to keep up two
hundred acre farm, improving in fertility
ana keeping 1t IN repairs. On a two
hundred acre farm il will take at least
seven good mules or horses to cultivate
preperly-One yoke of good oxen TOR
hauling, tour good cows, FIVE b eed.Dg
sows. and twenty sheep. That is ample.
stock for such a sized farm, but it can
support more if deemed necessary. This
gtocA should be stabbed and penned of
nights to save the manure. Ten good
hands are sufficient as laborers, provided
on ha We the most improved plow-and
If the farm is owned by an active, ener-
eetlc, progressive young man, hire your
hands for money wages ana manage the
Whole Yourself. But should the owner