The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1883-04-07
OUR NEGLECTED RESOURCES.
NUMBER TWO

in life, We now come to consider
what shall be done to change the
present order of things. We said
that slavery was the chain that link.
ed your people to the cotton field and
drove your young men from the farm.
The best thing for your people to do
is, at one fell stroke, to cut this gor-
dian knot and let cotton go with
slavery. Stop short on your present
system and cease to raise this pro-
duct forever. 1t is destroying your
lands and bringing no adequate re-
turn for the loss. If this drives out
the idle, worthless class of labor you
now have, you are benefited, for an
intelligent class of labor will spring
up to take its place. Turn attention
to raising grass, clover, corn, peas,
fruits. vegetables. and to manufactur-
ing enterprises. Raise hogs and cat.
tie. All these things bring money
and improve land. All these things
equire thought and activity. 1t is
q shame that farmers do not raise hay
when hay is worth in your market
SIS per ton, while in the north the
farmer is happy who gets So per ton
for that article. He raises no more
on the acre than you can raise. If
ne gets one ton to the acre he is sat
isfed and makes money. Land is
worth, as an investment, $50 per acre
if it will bring ton of grass or
clover and will pay a good per cent.
on the investment at that price. Yet
your people have thousands of acres
Of land that you are working out
with cotton that will bring two tons
of good clover or one ton Of good
timothy every year if proper care is
taken with its management. You
may raise thirty bushels of corn to
the acre on an average and get a
good price for it, Northern farmers
will average very little more. In the
last month I have ridden over some
of the finest farming land in the
world, and the farmers tell me they
can't make much more than this av.
b., erage and yet they are getting rich.
Their sons and their daughters are
." doing intelligent work on the farm.
They read and think and are content.
ed to live their lives of noble indie
pendence. Your lands will average
eight bushels of wheat to the acre,
and yet / see you raise none fol-
export. Why2 This is as much
as the great wheat fields of the world
will average the world over. Your
peas are the greatest stock feed in
the world, and yet your farmers give
them little attention. Why? Is not
money made on pig or calf as
good as that made on King Cotton!
1t is easier made. The labor is easier
and the profits greater.
West Tennessee should have a mill.
ion acres in apple trees. Why dom
she grow them? Apples are a beau
tiful and healthful fruit and Away,
command fair price in the market
| know a single county in Missouri
which sold over one hundred Thousand
dollars worth of apples last year
The apple worm is great pest theBe
your people hardly know what one is
You have that advantage, then WIN
not use it? The finest peaches tn
world produces grows in your state
and five acres of peach trees ar,
worth hundred acres in cotton trees
so far as clear money is concerned
Why not raise them and let cOttol
alone? Strawberries grow in won
derful profusion and some of m,
friends tell me they are sure Gro
fnr 800 per acre clear money. On
acre will not cost the labor of fifteel
in cotton, vet it will bring its owner
more money. Your people must
the vassals of King Cotton if they d
not rise up in righteous indignatiO
and Danish him from your realms fol
ever. You need real revolution I
throw off your chains. Let some pr
triot sound the war cry and / am sur
he will 90 like tea did in Boston hal
Dor. The black berries that went al
s1lutely to waste in Gibson count
laaf war on0bt IN have haav, moth q