The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1885-08-20
AGRICULTURAL.
The Outlook for Southern Agriculture

No doubt a stranger visiting a
southern locality for the first time,
may see many things that he thinks
of criticism, but it is al
ways safe before one criticises any
thing new in strange place, to
wait until he understands some
thing of the necessities of the case.
The whole agricultural practice OF
the South, necessarily differs great
" from that of the North. Climate
has an important influence, which
is not at once apparent to a stran-
ger. And when he sees old fields
turned out, and cotton and corn
grown in crooked beds and burrows,
and many other practices which are
new and strange, he may justly be-
lieve that these ways are thus, be-
cause they are the best under the
circumstances. But it is quite pos
sible to change ones circumstances
in many cases, and after some years
experience with southern agricul-
ture. it seems quite evident that
southern farmers can make better
use of their land than to so thor
oughly exhaust it by continued
cropping in cotton and corn, and to
disable it from producing even the
common weeds. Rotation of crops
is taught us by nature. Any one
may see how nature practices this
rotation, in the springing up ofpines
and other soft woods. on lands from
which hard woods have been re
moved, and the growth of hard
woods upon cleared pine lands
When the soil has been exhausted
of certain elements which have fur
nished food for corn, cotton or to
bacco, any one of these crops may
follow another without any indica
ton of distress, but when the whole
of them have been grown success
lively, and the soil has been eXhaus
ted of every constituent required
by these crops, there is still tOOt
enough left for grass, it the process
OF exhaustion has not been carrie,
too far. No doubt, as rule, south
ern farmers have gone to extreme
in their disregard of these require
ments Of the crops, and the abilit.
of the soil to supply them henc
the great amount of poor, aban
doned land which is left to grow
up to weeds, and ''Old fieldo pine
and oaks. 1t cannot be charged
against southern farmers that the
are any worse in this respect thai
their northern and western bretl
ren have been. A judicious rOta
ton of crops is the first step t(
ward this better way and there
now a favorable opportunity fo
beginning new course in this II
spect. A great European war al
peared to be imminent but ShOl
time ago, and many think that it
postponed for but short time
Should it occur, it's first effect prOl
ably will be, to affect the cOtto
market disadvantageOusly. TIL
will force southern farmers to gro
some other crops, and the first an
and best OF these crops will be gras
and clover. Then will folio
stock raising, the production of bee
mutton, pork, wool, butter, chees
and fruit, and other valuable an
indispensable products. These wi
not only bring i'll money to I'll
South, but will keep money, an
aOd the very greatest need OF til
South money will soon be SUI
Piled. With the increase OF foe
products will soon follow MANI
features, which will occupy til
magnificent water powers and uti
iZe the vast wealth of timber al
valuable minerals. Then will folio
railroads, shipping, a great increa.
OF population and prosperity, al
all these will make the South VIII;
It's great natural wealth, unexcelle
climate fitted it to be the richie
portion Of the United States
Agriculturist.