The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1882-06-24


| to $Iso per acres They raise pro-
visions on these $1oosacre lands to
feed US, while we raise cotton on
our $Io-acre lands. Gould not this
"hog and hominy" be raised cheap
| err on these cheaper lands? Ger
| tainly, but we won't do it: we plant
cotton, take the cotton and buy the
other mans meat and bread, and at
the close of the year have neither
meat, bread, nor cotton. This is
Southern "rotationw
Here is quotation from the
Lire Stock Journal, which should
be in every household.
"Great sales Of trotters have re-
Gently taken place in Kentucky in
which hundreds have changed
hands under the hammer, and at
good prices. Such colts as some
of our knowing Southerners would
not give $50 for, sold for $500 to
81 900 apiece. At these sales not a
man will be seen from the South,
he will be busy chopping out cot
ton, killing grass, buying Northern
corn at $I.s5 per bushel and North
ern bacon at I24 cents per pound"
In connection with this is the
statement from the New York Pro-
duce Exchange, to wit: at is esti-
mated that the Southern States
have drawn on the North this sea-
son for wheat, corn, and provisions
to the amount of $4,000. 600"
Stupendous! Is it surprising
that we are too poor to attend sales
of fine stock?
i well remember saying in this
/ hall, three years ago, that grazing
farming is our way out of this will
derness, and I am more than ever
convinced that it is the true plan
for many reasons.
First, It solves the vexed labor
question, since such a plan reduces
! the required labor by SO per cent,
thus Kidding US Of the greatest bur
! den that is upon us, for the presence
of large negro population is a
burden and barrier to immigra>
ton. We have tested this question
for seventeen years, and the coun-
try is to day so per cent worse Oft
than it was at the close of the war.
Second, Grazing farming builds
up and improves our worn lands.
Calculate closely your means, and
as far as able fence in some of your
worn out fields, no matter if they
are washed and quilted. Fill up
and level tie washes till you can
pillow over them, sow it in peas,
and don't take or cut any crop from
this land, but let your cattle and
sheep feed it off, and then pillow
under again. In this way YOU
gradually benefit your land and at
the same time derive some benefit
from it in the increased value of
your stock, though it is true that it
would be better for the land to pillow
under all the growth.
We will find this plan of farming
not only improves and builds up
our lands, but also ourselves physi-
cally, mentally and financially.
We will pot be in the tread mill
from year to year, wearing our
selves out with the monotonous and
improbable work. We Will not
have to wait all the year for our
money crop to come in, and at last
have the cup taken from our thirsty
lips and drunk down before our
eyes by some one else who has
staid in the shade dealing out 'fur-
nishments," but we will find some
thing to interest us at all times and
have commodities on hand that can
be converted into money at any
time. Do not understand me TO
advocate complete abandonment
of cotton, but let us make it subsid-
larry. A parallel case to the one |
suggest may be found in the North
west: Not many years ago Wiscon-
sin was the great wheat State of
the Union. The new West was
opened up aud became too great
rival in wheat production. The
farmers of Wisconsin then turned
their attention to dairy farming,
that offering the greatest attraction
for a change, owing to the proxim-
ity Of large cities and dense popu-
lations, and in spite of long, cold
winters they make it profitable.
You may think it strange l do
not advocate hog raising, as l have
said so much about high priced
Northern pork. 1 do think every
farmer should have a few hogs for
home use, but not as business, for
two reasons: Hogs don't improve
our soil like cattle and sheep, and
then hog raising, as a business,
should be left to large corn, pro
ducing countries, and / firmly be-
lieve we use too much corn and
hog meat. With more beef and
mutton on our tables, and less fat,
salt pork, you will see fewer fevers,
and will gain beside in the greater
cheapness of the food. So feed
your horses and mules with more
home raised oats, millet and other
hay and you will see stronger and
fatter stock and less sickness.
No part of the United States
could compete with US in stock
raising, if we would only make it
business, and we can grow hay and
small grain as profitably as the
West. Take for example two 10
acre fields of equal productiveness:
Plant one in cotton, and the other
in oats, or millet. Give your max
imum allowance for cotton, and say
you make 20 bales, worth in the
market 5000. Who will deny that
it will cost $500 to plant, cultivate