Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-10-15
A SKILLFUL FARMER
Tells the Story OF a Great Success With
WeH-ipplied and InteIligently Di-
rected Labor and Manures.
He Expects to Succeed in Raising Three
Bales Of Cotton to the Acre-Fig-
ures Worth Studying.

l suppose there are few readers of the Con
stitution who do not remember Parish Fur
| man, Gays Mr.. Grady, of that paper. He
was bright and brainy senator in 1876, and
| led the capital campaign against Atlanta;
| was mentioned for Congress, and I always
esteemed him one of the best equipped
and most capable of our young politicians.
A few years ago be quit politics and went to
farming. i heard that he had settled on
thin piece OF land with poor prospects, and,
| in common with many of his friends, thought
he had dropped out OF affairs. At the last
Agricultural Convention he electrified the
older farmers of the State with the details
of the most astounding five years. farming
ever done in Southern State, and is to-day
more talked about in the State than If he
had served in Congress twenty years.
/ have heard the record of his wonderful
work several times within the past few
| months, and the comment with which it is
usually greeted is, 81 don't believe it," 1
simply say that have the authority of at
least three excellent gentlemen for the truth
of the following main points:
Furman started work with sixty five acres
of the very poorest land in middle Georgia
five years ago. The 6rst year he made eight
bales Of cotton on the sixty-6ve acres, or
that it was the poorest of scrub land. The
second year be put 500 pounds OF compost to
the acre, and made twelve bales of cotton
where he made eight before. The third year
he used 1000 pounds of compost 10 the acre,
and increased the yield on the sixty-fye
acres TO twenty-three bsles. The fourth year
he used 1000 pounds of compost to the acre,
and increased his crop TO forty-seven bales
on sixty-fve acres. The fifth year he used
l. g a.. IL. 4 L
crop is certainly above eighty to the sixty
five acres, and may reach 100 bales.
He has done all this work with two plows
and eighteen days extra blowing. His official
and deI aIled statement shows that the total
expenditures were 1890, and his net profit
S2725-a fine record on two-horse farm.
In addition, the land that was worth So an
acre five years ago is now worth 500 an
acre. So, with two mules this year he has
raised at least eighty bales of cotton, 1000
bushels of oats and 400 bushels of corn.
lint that better record than he could have
made in Congress? Hasn't he done The
State more good by this demonstration than
he could have done BY ten years of political
speeches?
1 had talk with Furman to-day. He is
the very picture of health, prosperity and
intelligent enthusiasm. With perfectly in
dependent income, and the secret of better
one in his hand, he is truly happy man.
He said to me:
when determined to go TO farming. Eve
years ago, l saw that it would not do 10 farm
10 the old way. l saw farmers around me
getting poorer every day, though they worked
like slaves. / saw them starving their land,
so that each year their yield was scantier,
and their farms less valuable. saw that il
was still the pillow following the ak, and that
as fast as a farmer starved one piece of land
he cleared out new piece. With 800 900
immigrants pouring into I he country annual
ly, and the public domain virtually pre-
empted, realized that this wssteful system
must stop somewhere and soon. Worse than
all, / saw that my own land rented 10 a small
farmer was twenty per cent. poorer and less
valuable than it was a few years ago, and
that it would soon cease to pay me rent. l
knew that Georgia was blessed with the best
conditions of season and coil, and that if
properly treated it would yield large results.
81 therefore selected sixty -fve acres of the
poorest land had and went to work. The
first thing, of course, was TO enrich the soil.
To do this there was but Que way-to feed il,
and to give it more food than the crops took
from it; and, above all, to give it the proper
food. / knew that certain phosphate man
urcs stimulated the soil SO that ii produced
heavy crops for awhile and then fell off.
wanted none of this. / did not believe in
soil analysis. That was not exact enough.
"What l wanted was to know exactly what
perfect cotton plant took from the soil.
That ascertained, then to restore to the soil
exactly those elements in larger quantity
than the crop had distracted from them.
This is the basis of intensive farming,
and it will always give land that is
richer year after year. l had a cot
compliant analysed, and found that /
needed eight elements in my manure,
of which commercial fertilizers furnish
only three and the soil only one. 1 therefore
determined 10 buy chemicals and mix them
with humus, muck, decayed leaves, stable
manure and cotton-seed till L hadi secured
exactly what was needed. ! did so, and at
last procured a perfect compost for cotton.
l then ascertained that my crop of eight
bales had taken out of each acre of my land
as much of the constituents of cotton as was
held in $50 pounds of my compost. 1 there
fore put 500 pounds OF compost on each
scre, restoring double of what the crop Of
the year before had taken out. The result
was that / made four bales extra. l then
restored double what the twelve bales had
taken out, and made iwenty-three bales I
doubl d The restoration next year aud got
forty-seyen bales. I doubled again, and
this year have at least eighty bales"
"But does this extra manuring pay?"
Immensely. Here are my figures: 1000
pounds of my compost costs 81 25, or IS 60 for
1000 pounds. The first year put 500 pounds
to the scre-cost ST 80 an acre, or Sill for
sixty five acres. But my crop rose from
eight to twelve bales, the extra four bales
giving me $500 surplus, or $50 net on my
manure. The next year my manure 1000
pounds to acre) cost 1884; but my crop in
creased 10 twenty three bales from eight on
unm anured land. These ezra b,les give
me $3.50, or net profit on manure Of 1916.
The next year used 1000 poun Is per acre,
at cost OF 81 20 an acre, or SAL for total.
But my crop went from eight to forty seven
bales, giving sn increased income of $3.50,
or net over cost of manure of about $500.
This year used 1900 pounds to the acre,
costing S14 so, or S942 for total manure.
But my crop is at least eighty bales with
this manure, where it wss eight without.
This increase of seveDty-two bales is worth
$4,000. Deduct cost of manure, $940, and we
have $3.50 as the profit on use of manure"
Sand then the land is SO much richer"
certainly. 1t is worth 500 acre,
where it was formerly worth SIS. You must
credit the manure with THE"
"Where will you stop in this progress
siou2"
81 don't know. / shall double my man.
uriug next year, putting 5000 pounds to
the acre. / believe l will get $50 bales
from the sixty five acres. L hope 10 push
il up TO three bales an acres. l have few
acres on which l put 10000 pounds OF COM
post as an experiment, and every acre of it
III No r,o fbraa hal thfa