The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1878-03-21
Small Parma.

We have, in previous issues of the
Dispatch, urged the advantage to be de-
rived from small farms, or rather at
tempted to show how much more profit
able small farm, we'll cultivated, is to a
large plantation neglected and halt
tended. And now, while labor is so I'M
certain, every candid and thinking man
will admit that a small farm will yield
more clear profit than a large one. We
have but to look and see, go into any
neighboThoOd in the country, and when
we find farmer who has cultivated his
bread acres, in nine times out of ten
we find him under MOI tgage and in debt,
while the small farmer, although he does
not make such big show, is out of debt,
and has his hog and hominy" on hand
for next years crop.
But we did not start to mOraliZe, nor
did we, when we commenced this article.
propose to tell what we knew about
farming, or discuss the benefits arising
from proper cultivation. What we want
now, more than anything else, to secure
prosperity to our state, is immigration,
we want our farmers-our heavy land
owners, to divide their farms into small
tracts, so that good homes may be pro-
cured for the new conner Immediately
upon his arrival in our country. Eighty,
or hundred and sixty acres Of land are
enough for any farmer, and if those who
have their half sections and wholesections,
their immense fields open and ready for
cultivation, would divide them into
smaller tracts and sell at reasona-
bic prices, ION liberal terms, soon
our county would be peopled with
active, enterprisiDg farmers. These big
plantations and heavy land owners are
curses to the country. They drive away
new settlers by their extravagant prices
and their determination to make big
crops-the cause of education is i'm
peded-and the wheel of progress is
stopped, and "noney panic" is always
upon the people.
We may crush the system of free
schools III Arkansas as much as we
please; we may attribute ignorance to
bad legislation or inefficiency of officers
but these are not the causes of the
failure of schools. The cause is at,
tributable to the thinly settled country
-thinly settled because our people OWE
too much land, and those who would aid
us in building up schools, can find nc
place to locate are driven out by high
prices and unreasonable and exacting
terms.
Last week we sold land to FIVE farmers
from Ohio, and no one of them would
purchase more than forty acres of land
They said, eve want schools, and if we
buy all the land which is for sale around
us, we drive out others, and we will b.
unable to support Il school in our neigh
borhood." And this remark was the
cause of the suggestions we now make
There is sense in it. There is sounC
reasoning in it. And if our farmers
would adopt a similar policy, they would
be enabled to educate their children
and build up good society in every neigh
borhood.
Every dsy brings some immigrants t.
our country-men of pluck and vim, ant
tor our own good, and tor the good of tn,
country at large, we beg our large farmer
and land owners to make fair divid
with them, for by so doing the balanc
of their land will soon be trebled in value
Il Prescott Dispatch.