Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-06-14
Letter from jefferson County, Fla.

MONTICELLO FLA, June 9.-EditOr Morning
NetCS: am constrained to once more sing,
Praise God, from whom all blessings fow,"
for it flowed yesterday and to-day in the fullest
sense of the poet. 1t is the first good rain
and season we have had since the storm in
April. We had two partial showers-one on
the 2Sh of April, and the other the 30th of
May--neither of which was sufficient to bring
up seeds of any kind, excepting the coffee
weed, which comes up right in the midst of the
drouth. Corn and sugar cane suffered badly,
and died out to some extent. All garden truck
was parched out. Corn is generally laid by,
and is tasseling and silking The stalks are
about waist high, with ears no longer than
your finger. The crop is cut short fully one
third, if not one-half, as the plant is too old to
survive the injury. However, all the country
has not Jared as bad as this immediate section,
as the rains have been partial and scattering,
and where they have fallen in time corn is
very promising. The oat crop has been housed
in good order, but is short more than half, and
unfit for seeding again. Oats is an
uncertain crop, and will bankrupt the county
in the way of poor land, if persisted in.
Cotton is looking well throughout the
country. and there is generally a good
stand, though in some instances the seed
has been in the ground until the pres
replanting. The crop is more than a month
behind time. We have just set out our first
sweet potato draws and finished planting
ground peas Will put in some field peas, and
wish every farmer to do likewise. Mr.. John l.
Parker, of Thomas county, Georgia, has come
out in a lengthy letter in the Thomasville
Times. urging the farmers of his county and
State, as well as the farmers of the whole
South, to change their ruinous course in the
future, from all cotton" to corn, sugar cane,
rice. peas, oats, etc, ito raise stock, " so as to
ho cfo of of nd
be able to boast once more of our hog and
hominy." This is sound talk from a ripe ex-
pe:ience, and the plan proposed is the only
Salvati n for this debt burde ned country 1
hope the press of Florida will circulate Mr..
Parker's letter. for there is no place on the
face of Gods green earth where its teachings
are more needed. II everybody would read
hear and heed. its painful truths will thrill
every mans soul who has a heart to
feel, and will go far down into empty
pockets. Then, In the name of all
that is upright and good, let US change base
and begin anew from now. and henceforth, by
making each farm self-supporting. This we
can do by raising plenty of everything else,
and leaving of the great curse of the country.
king Cotton, - which upon an average on the
best land yields 2U0 pounds lint with ten
months labor to market, and will buy cEly
fourteen bushels OF western corn that you
can make on the same land with six months
labor. to say nothing of peas and fodder.
Then let US raise ground and field peas, chufas
and potatoes sufficient to fatten our hogs, and
plant corn enough for ourselves and laborers,
and buy in every ear of corn for sale on our
premises, and put it into our barns and
keep it to run our laborers on the next season
Weevil-eaten corn is cheaper than dollar corn.
Be sure you don't speculate on the corn, as the
merchants are doing, and have an interest for
your laborers. that all may live and prosper.
Now, brother farmers. you know that you
are on the very verge of ruin, trembling in the
balance between debt and starvation, and the
unfavorable season so far predicts that you
are about to tip the beam on the side Of starva-
tion Look at the past and see the cause
King Cotton, Western corn and bacon" How
long will you continue to go 1t blind and try to
see one better on your last stake. Change the
programme by calling farmers convention,
by which means we could regulate the plant
ing system, labor, etc K. H. M.