Brenham weekly banner. [volume] (Brenham, Tex.) 1877-1907, 1881-12-01

FIVE miles northeast of Bren-
ham, on Friday, which was at
tended by about one hundred
persons. 1t being a gathering
offarmers ofthe neighborhood,
the subjects of discussion by
the speakers were naturally
enough upon agricultural and
grange topics.
JUDGE J. Z. GRAY
was the first speaker to occupy
the stand. His theme was
farming and finance, but as the
limited time allowed him was
not sufficient he confined HIM
selft a brief statement of facts
as he understood them. He
regarded the occupation of
farmer as one of the most i'm
portant and exalted occupa-
tons in the land; the trouble
with many farmers, in his opin-
ion, lies in their failure to raise
a suficieney ofbread and meat
for home consumption; until
this state of affairs was rene
died there was no prospect for
any great deal of prosperity
among the planters; the sup
plies OF bread and meat was
the all-important starting point;
there was no money in raising
cotton when it required two
pounds of cotton to buy one
pound of bacon; hogs thrive
well in this county, and there
is no legitimate excuse why my
farmer should not raise enough
meat to supply the home de-
mand, with some to spare.
His theory is that farmers to be
prosperousmust raise their bread
and meat at home, and have
the proceeds oftheir cotton crop
as q surplus. Some people
complain OF the shortage of
the corn crop; the raising of
suficiency of corn for all legit-
innate purposes he regards as
an easy matter and gives the
following illustration to prove
it: An acre contains $500
square yards, one stalk to ev-
cry square yard. allowing one
ear to the stalk. would yield
4S bushels = allowing one
hundred ears 70 the bushel. |
He knew by experience that
such a yield could be obtain
ed by preparing the land well
and cultivating it thoroughly. |
Farmers were in the habit of |
planting corn loo thick, the
consequence is, it does not
thrive well during a drouth. |
He regarded the raising of |
stock a legitimate part Of farm |
ing and through that more at
tention ought to be paid to
that branch of the business; it
was easier to raise fine hogs,
cattle, horses and mules than
to pay extravigant prices for
them when wanted-while it
requires less ground to do it
than it does to raise corn and
cotton. He did not advocate
a general diversity of crops |
further than was necessary for
home consumption. As to
finances, he regarded it a hard
question to discuss saisfactor-
lily, so varied were the ideas of
different persons in this matter;
he, however, thought that the
farmers who were borrowing
money were paying a higher
rate Of interest upon it than
they could bear and prosper;
the rapid increase of interest
was marvellous; 6 per cent. was
considered by some a reason
able rate, but it was more than
farmers could afford to pay. on
sny great amount and prosper.
Debt, he regarded as the great
destroyer Of the prosperity of
many planters it is a burden
which all successful farmers
find it necessary to rid them
selves ofat the earliest moment
possible, after which a pay-as-
you-go policy should be adopt
ed, thereby relieving yourselves
Of interest or percentage. He
believed in the principles of CO.
operation lay the only safe
guards to the prosperity of the
planter; the farmers were the
source of all wealth and by a
combined cooperation between
themselves large amounts could
be saved to each other in the
purchase of supplies and agri-
cultural implements. A num-
Der of cooperative stores are
now in successful operation in
different portions of the state
resulting in immense benefit to
planters in their localities. If
the planters of Washington
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