The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1882-06-08
Agricultural.
DOWN SOUTH.
roM. Quad in the Detroit Free Press,l


In speaking of farms here is ont
fact which the Northern man mus
not overlook. lie can raise more
on eighty acres in Georgia than OF
100 acres in Michigan. lie VII
have three months more &c every
year TO work He can raise more
wheat. more oats, mole barley and
rye and his corn will run considera'
bjv more to the acre. He can raise
two crops of potatoes and cut Tour
crops of fodder. He can plant IN
March 10 Georgia, while he must
wait ualil May in the North. l saw
new variety of rest-proof wheat
mt into market at Americas on the
ID nay of May. On that same day,
before the North had planted ker-
mel of corn, it was in tassle IN q
dozen counties in Georgia Oats
were ready to cut in Northern Geor
gia by the 18th of May. A North
ern man who had farm Of seventy
FIVE acres 10 that State would culti-
vate every foot of it, and unless ne
went into cotton or grass very ex>
tensiveIy he would not want above
100 acres at the outside.
WHAT HE WOULD RAISE.
The average Georgia farmer who
has 100 acres of land puts at least
eighty into cotton, another ten is
divided between corn, potatoes, and
truck, and the rem 4inder is occupied
By the house, SHEDS, etc. If it is
bad year for cotton he is cleaned out
If it is a good year be pays his debts
and has something left over.
A Northern man would take the
same land and put thirty into corn,
the same into potatoes, ten into grass,
and tho remainder into wheat and
oats. If it was a good year the
wheat would run ten bushels to the
acre more than in the North. 1t it
was bad year it would run no less
than the Northern average. His
other crops could be counted on with
certainty. His ten acres of oats
would bring him more money than
thirty of cotton His thirty of corn
would yield better than fifty of cot
ton. His potatoes alone would bring
more cash than double the acres in
cotton. He would make more clean
cash from bis ninety acres thus plan
ted than any Georgian has ever
made from 800 acres of the heecy
staple.
THE REASON WHY.
You will then naturally ask why
they don't farm that way in Georgia.
The reason is because the S~n bern
merchant and capitalist has the Agri,
cultural producer by the throat, and
he is holding on with tenacious grip.
When Northern farmer wants tools
or provisions the merchant gives him
credit and be pays as be can. When
a Southern farmer starts in he goes
to merchant and gives a lien on
everything he may raise 10 order to
procure guano, tools and provisions
to run him through the season The
merchant not only charges him ex :
orbitant prices, but obliges him to
plant cotton. He will not let him
split up bis land into cotton, corn,
oats, potatoes, ETC., but insists that
every acre shall go into cotton alone.
When that cotton 10 ginned and
baled it must go the merchant who
has the lien lie sells it on account,
and he gets commission for selling
If there is more than enough to pay
him it goes to the farmer; if there
is not, then the farmer must make
another lieu and hope for better
luck. The merchant won't let him
plan! corn or potatoes because he
wants to furnish him these things at
big profit 1t is the same with
oats and hay. BY keeping him on
cotton he makes profit on whatever
the farmer eats and wears, and be
makes another when he sells the
cotton. 1t is system which has
been practiced for twenty years in
various Southern States, but it is
probable that it has at last received
its death blow. The Georgia farm
er is kicking against it with great
vigor, and the Northern men who
have gone down there with cash to
buy farms and run them have struck
hard blows against the evil. Sum
up the system aud it is from twenty
to thirty per cent interest. Not one
farmer in ten who starts in that way
ever gets out of debt. During the
last year or two a money-loaning as
ISOLATION formed in the East has had
agents all over the South lending
money on real estate at eight per
cent and hundreds of planters have
found 10 it way oct of their diff
culties.
Ten years ago Georgia was all
cotton. To-day she is reaping the
benefits of mixed crops. Her big
planters raise less cotton and more
oats, wheat and corn, and her small
farmers have mine of wealth in
truck farming. Her farming popu,
lation is nearer out Of debt than in
any other district in the South.
Are there many Northern men ia
Georgia e
Yes, hundreds of them. met