The Opelousas courier., 1882-02-25
Lincoln Parish.
THE TROUBLE THERE AND ITS CAUSE.

Bacon is selling for fifteen cents per
pound cash, and hundreds of people
throughout this country have not a
pound; nor a cent to buy it with. Alb
ject want it already beginning to stare
many of our people in the face and re
mind them of the sore trials and priva-
tons they will have to undergo duIin.
this year. The merchant, who has been
their sole dependence for the necessi-
ties of life for IA number of years, has
become tired of waiting for his money,
which has SO long l,een due, and which
year after year grows larger. cuts loose
from his profitless customer, and he is
left to his own resources for meat and
bread TO supply the demands of nature
How many are there in this country
that are similarly situated aud who
know not how they will get through
the year, without credit, without mo
ney and without meat and bread =! If
the truth was known they are all 0ver
the country. Pride forces many to
conceal their wants and sn~ffrriugs,
while others frankly acknowledge, it.
The question naturally presents it
self, what the is cause of this condition
of affairs, and why is it TINS ! The
answer is as simple AS the answer TO
any question, and may be given as
readily. and is this Incidence in the
first place, extravagauce in the second
place, and IA complete disregard of the
principles of successful farming as
practiced by those who are successful
and prosperous in the pursuit.
Experience. if not ommon sense
teaches lis that meat raised ut home is
cheaper than when bought and paid for
with cash, even if the hogs have TO be
fed for three fuurths of the year, pro-
vided the feed il raised ut home also.
Most all kinds of grain and grasses that
grow at all in Il Southern climats, grow
we'll in this country, besides a large
number of other kinds of meat produ-
cling crops, such as peas, potatoes, pin
dars, chufas, grass nuts and Numerous
other root crops that make excellent
meat without the use of any cnrn at ALL.
These crops need comparatively un
cultivation at all. and are but little
trouble after they are planted /; land is
plentiful in this country. and ii is NO
trouble for any farmer to have as many
: patches" as be wants for the trouble
of fencing. Then, il it not infinitely
better to plant small patches of such
crops, and keep your hogs up all the
time if it be necessary. and thereby
make your meat at home. than to buy
it and pay cash realized from cotton at
eight cents, and raised on land that re-
qHires four or five acres to the bale !
We certainly think so.
A Berkshire pig. well fed. will weigh
about two hundred and fifty ~aunds at
u year of age ten Or fifteen such
hogs will supply the wants of the most
Numerous family in this parish. and
leave them some to spare to pay for
day labor during the year. Two Or
three good milk cows will furnish an
ample supply of milk and butter for an
ordinary family, and two nr three good
beeves IA year. A small flock of sheep,
half attended to. will yield enough wool
during the year to knit all tile socks for
the family and furnish cash enough to
partly if not wholly ray for the sugar
and coffee and other little comforts that
be made at homie. besides fur
IN ample supply of good, fat
mutton in the spring, SUMMER and fall.
Poultry, such az chickens, turkeys.
geese, guineas and ducks will furnish
of eggs aud poultry for the ta-
BILE Que half acre planted in cane
will produce all the syrup a family will
consume and more hesides. Ten acres
If moderately good land planted in
corn will make from two hundred TO
two hundred aud fifty bushels. enough
to answer all the demands of IL one
farmer. for bread, stock, poultry
feed and all. and keep everything In
fine order around I'm.
II he wishes to \ ury tie tcotfomicdl
idea still further ne may plant five
acres in wheat aud make all the flour
lie needs during the year, which will.
10 quality and heaItllfniness, far ex-
coed that made by manufacturing es
tablishmeuts and shipped south. AL
ten acres for corn aud five for
= truck patches, the farmer will have
five acres 60 plant in cotton, which. if
well fortified and thoroughly cult
will make M bale per acre any
ordinary year.
This an excellent living at
with the whole of the cotton crep
rs net profit. The excess of butter,
eggs. poultry. beef. mutton, Wool, etc,
10 u farm such as we have described,
BY all means, pay for the cloth
sugar, coffee and other little things
necessary about a home. which cannot