Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1884-06-28


graphical situation places her capabili.
ties in the lead as general manufac-
turing State, whose best interest is
upbuilded by a system of diversified
farming.
The great advantage of a diversity
of crops to the laborer comes in the
constant employment, at average
wages, for the whole year, without
which there is always suffering and
discomfort. The advantage to the
farmer arises in various ways. He can
always get labor at reasonable rates,
while on the other hand, all are in de-
mand at once, and to insure the safety
of his crop, he must pay enormous
prices for labor. There is more prob.
ability of loss when all the profit must
come from one crop, owing to the
probability of a failure in that crop,
while, if his crops were diversified,
there could not be a failure in all, and
the loss, if any, on the wanting crop
would not be so large, With all these
facts so plain to every farmer--facts
of which they are by no means igno.
rant-still they are found following
the popular gale, bending every effort
for the production of the popular crop
until the great surplus reduces the
value below the cost of production.
There never existed a parall gov.
eminent with ours, inhabited by a
people quick and excitable. establish
ed as an asylum for the hampered and
oppressed of the Old World, whose
ancestors had never known aught but
the overshadowing power of the throne
in agricultural, political, and religious
life. Here they are unfettered, here
the Goddess of Liberty builds sgem.
crested temple on every farm, in every
church, and in every State house,
claiming as her protectors the Jealous
blood of her devotees in every station
of life; this license and freedom coup
led with the enthusiasm of our people
is felt largely among our agricultural
classes, and is powerful incubus up
on a divesirty of our farming interests.
This unlimited freedom to engage in
any pursuit and to produce any kind
of crop which suits the fancy and the
tendency to follow the popular mania,
causes great loss among the farmers
of this State. How could we expect
a different state of affairs?
This is the age of bonanzas, and
this government is its enchanted home
The world is rushing on In the craze
for quick and fabulous fortunes. The
fever fastens itself as firmly on the
farmer as any one else, and he rushes
too, into extremes in production rather
than building up a sure and steady
fortune by diversity of paying crops
Let the news of Leadville reach the
quiet country district, and at once thu
young men, in whom is the hope o
the future, leave the plow.share rust
ing in the field and follow the ignis
fatuus fortune, which, when reached
is like the apples of Hesperides, turn
ed to ashes when plucked. Let thu
news spread that a man has 'strucl
OIL" and the briers and brambles re
ioice in new home in that communi
ty. Let potatoes boom, and ever,
field is a potato patch, every night
slumber of the farmer is disturbed
with the rumbling of potato barrels
So it happens with our farmers Away
rushing with the world into proftles
extremes. We have no agriculture
king, as did the Egyptians, 'tJ~ super
intend their productions, whereby the,
became the feeders of the world; bu
is enc necessarily compelled to rel,
upon the future intelligence and in
formation of the farmer, to counterac
this licensed freedom and mania whicI
tends to extreme production of on
crop, and consequent loss to the State
knowledge is power, and is the farm
er's power in the future! The bene6
to this association, Mr.. Chairman,
there is any, of our address on divel
sifed farming, must come from show
ing up the products of our State a
they are reported. By comparing he