Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-06-28
OLD AND NEW WAYS OF FARMING IN
THE SOUTH.

There is an old saying to the effect
that he who makes two blades Of grass
to grow where only one grew is a pub
lie benefactor. Ifthis contains hint
or an idea of value, it follows that the
man who makes a whole meadow to
grow where there was only cutters and
desolation before, must be a scholar
and gentleman at least. Many peo-
pie in the South run too much in old
grooves, cutters and bypaths, being
merely content to make a living with
out great effort, even if they are always
in debt to their merchant, and die
without leaving any unincumbered
property to their children. We are
too much given, especially on thin
uplands, to cotton planting. All other
crops and industries are made subser-
Went to the idea-to the passion, it
seems to be-of raising as many bales
of cotton as possible, on given num-
Der of acres year after year. Many
small planters actually believe that
nothing will pay but cotton, and make
a llOther crops a secondary considera-
ton. They do not admit that it pays
to raise fine stock, grasses, fruit,
grapes, vegetables, poultry and the like.
These things are too small for notice,
and we are often seriously told that
Shelby county will not produce wheat
hay aud other crops peculiar to Middle
and East Tennessee, Kentucky and
Virginia. 1t is about time for such
fallacies to be dispelled in the mind:
Of intelligent farmers at least. A few
men that We could name have fully
demonstrated that the uplands Of
Shelby county, to say nothing Of the
bottoms, will produce rich crops o
anything that can be raised in any
other section Of the State. Splendit
crops Of wheat, oats, rye, barley, Ger
man millet, ETC., have been raised ex
perimentally around Memphis, bu
still people, with Chinese tenacity
stick to cotton. Small fruit growing
has received much attention by lin
tied number OF people, aud in uearl,
every instance it has paid well. Stocl
raisinghas hegun to attract some atten
ton, and will no doubt develop into
profitable industry. But to have fin
stock it is essential to have pasturag
and fine grasses. That the uplandS 9
Shelby county will produce splendi
clover and timothy is just as easil
demonstrated as that Irish potatoe
or Strawberries will grow when PROF
erly planted and worked. We desir
to refer particularly to one citize
who has proved this and stands read
to bear witness that common timOth
is paying crop when attended to eve
on poor ground. 0fcourse, the ma
who waits to see it grow wild {
without labor will continue to ha'
bare red hillsides on his side Of Il
question. Here is case to the poir
In 1877, DR.. S. Hamontree, who liv
in the Fourth Civil District, north
Big Greek, bought so acres of po
WORE out land adjacent to one of h
farms, paying SIS per acre for
which was really high price. IT
first year he sowed fifteen acres Of
in wheat, aud sowed clover on top
this. In 1873 he cut off a tolerat
crop ofwheat, turned the clover und
aud soWed down timothy. In 1880
had a splendid crop of timothy, a
this year it is still better. Yesterd
morning he brought specimen sta
to the city as high as a mans hes
He says he will cut two tons to Il
acre of fine hay from that grour
we're he to sell it, the net profit won
pay the original cost Of
land. But being also stock raiser
will make better profit by keeping
for his own use. This he says is t
best crop he has ever produced sin
he turned bis attention to grasses
1oSQ What he has dome can he do