Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1883-06-14
WHY FARMERS DON'T PROSPER.

Not long ago found brother farmer in
a very bad way. He said that it had actu-
ally come to it that man could not make a
living farming in this country, and if he
could find anybody to give his land to, he
was going to hunt new grounds. was sor-
ry for him, for he did look powerfully long
faced. Says / !: "Have you tried to make a
living farming?" "Have tried !" he said,
with look that indicated that was fool.
death, and we have been getting poorer ev-
eryyear." "That is strange" says "some
people do make living right here in this
country. Ihave not found it hard to do"
After taking long look at me, he said:
"I carried my last cotton to market the 9th
er day, and when I went to square up was
left in debt for meat and bread last year, and
now 1 have got everything to buy this year.
Them merchants just take all poor farmer
can make, and then they amt satisfied.
We all work hard and have nothing, and
we are always in debt. This is no country
for white man." AS he said this his voice
sorry; for he is good, hard working man.
Said l: GLOW do you manage, Zeke Pit
kin? Do you make a good garden and
have plenty of vegetables in their season ?"
Looking down at his feet, he replied: do
you reckon have nothing to do but paddle
in a garden l tell you it is all 1 can do to
work my CROP" "Well," says I, "you have
been on the same place fifteen years-reckon
you have lots of fruit Of different sorts to
eat in summer and fall and put up for win
ter" 81 reckon l amt. l need my land
for my CROP" "Doyou raise plenty of Irish
and sweet potatoes to do you? "Plenty,
while they last, and that amt long" DO
you keep cows togiveyou milk and butter?"
''Sometfmes." "Does your wife raise many
chickens and turkeys, and such like?"
"How can she when she has to help with the
crop?" "Do you make plenty of corn, oats
and hay for your own use ?" ''Of course
don't, when I am obliged to plant a full
crop of cotton to pay my debts and buy
something to eat" Several fellows sitting
around said: "That's what's the matter
with Sallie." Says 1, "Friends want to
tell you what is the matter with Sallie, and
Mary, and Jane, and Tom, and Bob, and
Zeke here, and all the rest of you. You say
you are not trying to make a living. You
are trying to make money by raising cotton
TO buy living with, and there is no reason
in that. Now, listen to me little, for your
own good. You and yours work the year
round to make cotton and then you getyour
meat from one thousand miles away, corn,
flour, hay and so on come the same way.
The Yankees sell their grass at good price,
and we work ourselves to death to killgrass.
If you will do as tell you, inside of three
years every one of you will be easy" Sew
eral of them spoke right up and said, "Let
us hear it," Every well," says l. "Go
home, and tonight get your wives and
children all around you and tell them just
how you have been doing, and how it has
worked. Then say, 4 propose to turn over
a new leaf First we will not spend one
cent we can help, not a cent for tobacco,
Whiskey nor clothes more than is necessary.
We will get cows enough to give us plenty
of milk and butter, and we will attend to
them, and we will get some soWs and pigs
and look after them. There will be a good
garden and plenty Of chickens raised. We
will plant plenty of potatoes, corn, and what
ever is to live on. In short we will go in for
making a living first, and something to sell
next You will find all will agree to it,
Then just stick to that for three years, and
my word for it, you will never say again
that living can't be made in this country:
Now if you doubt it come to see me, and
l will show you that it can be done. ."-Oded
Farmer IN Baptist Record.