The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1881-08-13
mo. 40.


VIC WI0Ct tu0 CoIoAul uSoousIOh Va
our people to the following extract
from letter from q Texas famer to
the agricultural department Of the
New York Sue:
( SIR-It was recently stated in The
Sun that Alexander H. Stephens as
serted that Georgia was growing
poorer every year. ] was born and
raised, aud, until three years ago.
lived in the adjoining State of Ala
bama, and, with my knowledge of
farming in the South: / have been
convinced for many years past that
the statements of Mr.. Stephens are
even more than true. With but few
exceptions, Southern farmers have
never tried to prevent their lands
from washing, and the fact must be
admitted that the rich vegetable
mounds has been washed from hill
sides into the fats. until it now lies
piled up from two to ten feet deep.
Rich rolling lands in acres by the
million have not only been perms-
nently impoverished by this means.
but the washing process is still going
on at fearful rate. Since the vege-
table mounds has been removed, the
sterile subsoil of the hillsides are
washing down and covering the rich
alluvial soils of the fats so fast that
all will soon become permanent
ruin, which nothing can remedy. I'M
less future generations succeed in
removing these deposits to their Or
iginal hillsides. SO general is this
system of farming that there is
scarcely an exception to it and of all
problems to be solved in this country
it ia one of the greatest. 1t is now
entsiling miseries on the whole land.
aud unless q remedy is found the
next generation will have little else
but red clay and kindred soils to cul-
tivate. assert that not only Geor-
gia, but the whole South, by this
means alone. is becoming more and
more hopelessly impoverished each
year, and oil the railroads. manu-
factories, and Development Of mines,
that can be built and worked will
not give us q remedy until this sys-
tenn Of farming is changed. Farmers
are the last class of people in the
world to invent or even adopt inn
provements. With the exception OF
improved machinery, which has been
done principally BY manufacturers,
and the introduction Of blooded stock,
instead of advancing. farm economy
has greatly degenersted.d There 10
nearly a. much room for develop
ment in this industry as there was
for manufacturing and transportation
a hundred years ago. a..s.s ,a...s.,. i.
There can be no doubt that there
is much truth in the foregoing state !
ment, for it is confirmed in great
measure by our own personal obser-
walton. It is time now that our
planters in the uplands should take
account of stock, and zee what is the
outcome of the agricultural system
in vogue. If it pays We have not
another word to say; but there are {
several elements in the calculation.
which are not now generally intro
duced into the estimate, to which we
wish to refer: go
/. The deterioration Of lands.
How much does your land decrease
in absolute value yearly, from the
careless culture usually applied? A
farmers land is his capital, and if its
productive capacity Is declining, the
result is simply the application Of 30
much capital in current accounts.
2. The came remark applied to
the fences and permanent improve
ments of the farm. We have seen
grea. deteriorntion going on in this
respect. and the question arises.
whether this is compensated by ade-
quate advantages. ieosga 8
It seems TO AZ that unless this
proposition is squarely met, our agri-
cultural interests will be exhausted
BY . slow attrition. which is not
generally regarded. We believe that
the system Of transition should be 90
employed, that we can finally arrive
at the general adoption of farming
system, such as is in vogue in every
farming country. The production Of
staples is advantageous in permanent
form only under special conditions.
and We do not believe that these con-
ditions exist in the nplands of the
South since the emancipation Of the
slaves. The extention Of the produc-
ton of cotton 10 30 much greater
than any probable extention Of the
commercial demands, that wide
spread disaster must necessarily en-
sue nnless these results are anticipa-
ted, aud dine provisions made for