Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-08-11
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
Sensible Suggestions I o Farmers.

sensible suggestions TO Farmers.
To the Editors Of the Appeal:
For the first time since 1873 your city BE-
gins TO show a healthy growth. Would that
this could be said Of toe farming country
surrounding l.. Along the lines Of railroads
leading out from Memphis, 10 West Tennes-
zee and North Mississippi, the growing crops
plainly show that there is something radical
ly wrong with farmers and farming. 1t is
very evIient that there exists two principal
causes for this condition of affairs.
First-The present farm labor of the
South generally is OF little or no account.
Secondly such labor the soil, which
once produced as good crops as could be
raised anywhere, has been exhausted, robbed
Of nearly all its vitality, denying the soil the
food necessary TO grow and upport the plant,
scratching the ground and call il blowing.
No wonder it fails to remnnerate The labor
and rebels against such Treatment. The labor
question, | admit, Is a very difficult
problem to solve. The more the
farmer employs the poorer he becomes.
Would not the following plan 10 part remedy
the evil: Let tie farmer reduce the number
OF acres for cultivation within the control of
his own householed, and cultivate such well.
Very Foon tn. country would be rid of the
present wIetched and Improbable labo-, AND,
with the restoration Of the now WORKOUT
land by means OF fertilizers, good labor
would very soon seek employment and many
become purchasers OF cur lands.
Second only TO this labor question is the
restoration ii the soil. This can be &C.
complished by proper modes Of cultivation
and fertiiizing, both within the power and
means of a large portion of cur farmers.
True, this cannot all be dooe ia a single year,
but the first will produce wonderful resul.s.
The few who have had the courage to
spend a few dollars upon each acre of ground
by way of fcrtiiizing and proper cultivation,
have been paid ten-fo'd. Hundreds of relia-
Bile testimonials could here be cited from
Georgia, North and South Carolina and por-
tions Of Alabama, who have been fertilizipg
for the past eight or ten year,, showing a
marvellous increase aud a more certain pro-
ductio1, and that from as poor, il not poorer
soil, thar ours. North Carolina aftIr the
war and up 10 1S6S-69 raised only about
10000 bales Of cotton yearly, in the past
two years over 400, 900 bales yearly-results
Of proper cultivation and aid Of frriiliz=rs.
One testimonial from a farmer near home,
which the writer has been permitted to use,
ates what can be done on The poorest
Of our lands by means OF fertilizers. L. II.
Jsme4oD, farmer, south Of Colliervilie, pur-
chased, about four years. ago, a small farm.
So poor was the land that his neighbors pre-
dicted it would starve him out. The first
year QSSl) he attempted to crop twenty
acres on cotton on the old plan, scratching
the ground with a smsll one horse pillow,
planting the seei, worked ii as best he could,
and relied on nature and the poor, WORKOUT
land for results. And such resulIel The
twenty acres made about five bales of Gotten;
| staple, very short; stalk, not any Of il knee
high; majority bUmblebee cotton. The sec
! ond year the same twenty acres were planted
|, in corn, adding a little manure gathered up
from the stable. Resu!is, better than the
j previous year. THIS ppring the twenty
| acres were again planted in cotton,
| blowing the ground deep ~ os4ible with a
! large two-horse pillow early in spring. When
! planting time came ran a bull-toDgue in the
center furiow, and put in 200 pounds Of De-
soto fertilizer, then rebedded on it. April
| 26Gh planted the cotton. Tue 26,h of June
it bloomed, aud about the 10Th Of July the
stalk averaged waist high, promi ing a 800
| pounds) bale TO the acre, if balances of season
| is favorable. Such results as this should in
duce every farmer 10 change HE present mode
of farming. Poor land and poor cultivation
can only end in failure. Yours truly.
| TRAVELLER,