Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1885-07-04
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DR.. j. B. RlTCHEY, EDITOR.
The Outlook for Southern Agricul.
ture.
American Agriculturist.

American Agrculturist.
No doubt a stranger visiting a
Southern locality for the first time,
may see many things which hethinks
deserving of criticism, but tits always
safe before one criticises anything
new in a strange place, to wait until
he understands something of the ne
cessities of the case.
The whole agricultural practice Of
the South, necessarily differs greatly
from that of the North. Climate has
an important influence, which is not
at once apparent to stranger. And
when one sees old fields turned out,
and cotton and corn grow in crooked
beds and burrows, and many other
practices which are new and strange,
he may justly believe that these ways
are thus, because they are the best
under the circumstances. But it is
quite possible to change ones circum-
stances in many cases, and after some
years experience with Southern ag-
riculture, it seems quite evident that
Southern farmers can make better
use of their land than to so thorough
ly exhaust it by continued cropping
in cotton and corn, as to disable it
from producing the common weeds.
Rotation Of crops is taught by nature.
Any one may see how nature prac-
tees this rotation, in the springing
up of pines and other soft woods, on
lands from which hard woods have
been removed, and the growth of
hard woods upon cleared pine lands.
When the soil has been exhausted of
certain elements which have furnish
ed food for corn, cotton or tobacco,
any one of these crops may follow
another without any indication of
distress, but when the whole Of them
have been grown successfully, and
the soil has been robbed of every con-
stituent required by these crops, there
is still food enough left for grass, if
the process of exhaustion has not been
carried too far. No doubt, as a rule,
Southern farmers have gone to eX-
tremes in their disregard Of the re-
quirements of these crops, and the
ability of the soil to supply them {:
hence the great amount of poor,
abandoned land, which is left togrow
up to weeds, and "old field" pines
and oaks.
1t cannot be charged against South
ern farmers that they are any worse
in this respect than their Northern
and Western brethren have been. A
judicious rotation of crops is the first
step toward this better way and there
is now favorable opportunity for
beginning new course in this re-
spect. A great European war APP
peared to be imminent but a short
time ago, and many think it is post
pOned but for short sine. Should
it occur, its first effect probably will
be, to affect the cotton market disad-
vantageOusly. This will force South
ern farmers to grow some other crop,
and the first and best of these crops
will be grass and clover. Then will
follow the feeding Of stock, the pro-
duction Of beef, mutton, pork, wool,
butter, cheese and fruit, and other
valuable and indispensable products.
These will not only bring money to
the South, but will keep money there,
and the very greatest need Of the
SOuth-money-will very soon be
supplied. With the increase of food
products will soon follow manufac-
lures, which will occupy the magnffi-
cent water powers, and utilize the
vast wealth of timber and valuable
minerals. Then follow railroads,
shipping, a great increase of popula-
ton and prosperity, and all these will
make the South what its great natu.
raj wealth and meXcelled climate
fitted it to be-the richest portion OF
the United States.