The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-04-05
FdFM Talk.
some Kindly CRITICISM upon the Wars o
Farmers, with the Results that Follc,r

Some kindly Criticism upon the war. or
Farmers, with the Results that Follow.
dfessrs. Editors: l propose TO cri.i-
else the farmers. Being one OF that
class, | think l am pretty well posted
as to their faults misiortunes might
say-for our defects have been trans.
mitted tAs>oagh so many generations
that they have become almost second
nature.
In consequence Of shc 6nnnnnnsc nd
vantages in the struggle for existt,pnn
which the Southern fs,mur hns NOS
scssed. his capacities have beco,nc
dwarfed from taisnse. With Rn n,sp,>
passed soil and climhte. with mn alm,~
dance of cheap hand, waah dihc unnnup,
oily ia production OF a woild-rsu,sn,nna
staple, he has $ascn lift nasjls nnd
trusted 10 ancestral methods 10 ncc,,,n-
plish old-tiu,c rcsults.
or the previously advantageous srrs,.
ronndings one only remains consrar,,
our climate. Labor is becoming
more and more uncomfortable, TIE
soil has been impoverished and 5he
exhaustion still goes on. The ras1
production Of cotton has csusad 1he
price to be unremuncrat,ve, ana " c are
brought face 10 face with such a new
environment that only q rat,ical change
In ourselves will prevent our oxtinc-
ton. 1t would be ultra pesSi,nism ia
dread such catastrophe, but we mnsi
remember there is no pity in nature.
ana unless we soon adapt ourselves 10
our altered conditions we will certain
ly go on from bad to worse. Do no:
get discouraged, brother farmer. and
cry down our profession. 1t is Che
finest in theworld. The cause of fail:
urc "lics in ourselves and not our
stars" will tell you i'm one sentence
why you DO not succeed. 1t, is not on
account Of bad labor, low-priccd cot
ton or higf-priced liens: it is simnly
ana solely because you take no inter-.
est in your business.
You arc ignorant Of matters of the
utmost economic Importance, which
you could and should know. Here
arc a dozen questions; how many can
I you answcr2
J.. What is tho size ofyour farm
and its money value; not marketable
or taxable value, but its real worth to
you2 W
2. Is its average produciivcncss Der
acre increasing or decreasing ycorlvp
y. low many pounds of lint cotton
did you make last year?
4. What was the aycropo pricc NJ
sAlcs and the average cost of urodur.
ton per pound?
g.. What did your corn and oats cost
per bushcl? >N O''''
6. What net gain, if any, resulted
from INC uso OF commercial fertilizers
| q. DOCS tic continuous application,
OF bought manurcs improve or iniurt
land permanently?
D. The difference in price between
an Alninoniatcd fertilizer and q non,
a,nmonlntcu ono Of the same brand is
aDoht ten dollars. Is there any differ.
cncc i'll their real values to YOU, O,
nave you been wasting your money OF,
| amIEOnia2
9. Docs your land need potash, and
nave you fully tested kainit to asccr.
tain if it docs?
lO. If one ton of ammoniatcd ouano
If worth forty dollars, what is IL busbcl
OF cotton seed worth for manure?
II. What is the most economical
space Tor ordinary upland corn and
cotton?
II. What is the relative value for
fecding purposes Of oats and corn?
These are All points which YOU ought
10 know. You, cannot keep Il farm
unless yn" keep farm-book. You
must experiment and record the re-
suits for yourself. Overcome your
reverence for tradition and supcrsti-
sion. Don't believe even what Won
see until you test the accuinc: Of vour
vision. Put n little more STYLE into
your appearance, and wliem you come
~ town look less like bcggar on
horseback Whitowash your dwell
ing, onthouscs and fences, if vou aro
TOO poor to buy paint, and remove the
dilopidation which broods over them.
ilaVe something to- brag about, if moth
ing but apig. You need not come TO
town so frequently or stay SO long
when YOU do come. The merchants
arc s'lfiiciently acquainted with Won,
ana would prefer not seeing YOU til
next tall. You might have noticed
that although you spend whole davs
III the "Boro", the invitations to dino
arc not SO common or urgent as to
annoy you. RusrlcUs.