The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1885-03-11
Useful Information for the Southern
Farmer.

tanners OF our county, resulting troEa
the low price Of crops and bad seasons,
says tie Berkeley Gazette, il Is a matter
ot serious reflection what they shall do.
With regard 10 long cotton the question
appears 10 the Gazette q puzziing ore.
lie finer grades, il says, Judging from
the quantity on hand uns0Id from the
crops OF several years past, and the very
slight quiry-Indeed, We may say
almost studied neglect Of tit would /
seem the part Of prudence not 10 touch It /
at all, or with great caution. We are
informed that Northern spinners have /
supplied themselves fully, a. usual with +
/ the coarser grades, while European 4
spinners are buying sparingiy, the sup
! ply Of foreign -made long cotton having 4
/ recently been much increased, 70 that !
4 they need very little from Us, and the /
threatening aspect Of things among them /
I tending to this conclusion. With good |
/ portion of our crops unsoid and carry 4
I ing with them their usual great expense, /
/ would il not be wise to curtaIl the area
/ Of cotton. 20 plant much more largely Of
( small grain, corn and roots, and, as
! quickly a. possible raise stock, as we'll
J for compost making Is for table and
market. The truth is. if our farmers
are to retain their homes and lands they
must be content to comply with the
conditions of successful farming a. il
/ obtains everywhere else, and make at
home everything that can he make there
! cheaper than il can be bought in the
markets. Who that has noticed those
| Of our farmers who have done this,
asks the Gazette, "has failed to observe
their independence; their good living
and prosperity, and will deny that most
| of the necessaries Of life and many
other luxuries can be had at much less
cost than they can be bought?' And
then continues as follows.
Short cotton is a safer crop, more
cheaply made than the other, less expen-
sive in the harvest aud preparation and
marketing. The world wants and must
have it. Rut why do hot our Berkeley
farmers of this cotton not make the
large crops we read of in other counties?
Oris it true that their m0destv forbids
the reports Of suchl We rather hope
that this last is true, Cor we are satisfied
that ia several sections of our country
our lands equal in fertility any land this
side Of the great prairies. If large crops
are not made then may not the planters
be blamed? For supposing the land
to be poor, where on the round world
can the material fer posts be more
readily found, and in greater quantity,
which, supplemented with our great
1 fertilizer, cotton seed, in some shape
and tle phosphates, rest or green ma
nures, and more thorough drainage than
is commonly praCtised, can, by unvary-
ing system, bring it to a pitch of almost
indefinite fertility and productiyeness.
Close observation Of crops made during
many years has convinced us that in our
low country at least one great cause of
the failure Of cur crops, if it is not the
most frequent and potent cause, Is want
Of proper drainage, and it will not be
venturing too far to say we believe our
farmers will never get over half Of the
crops their lands are capable of produc-
ing until they come to regard this q
necessity, and act accordingly.
In the neghboring country are
2 farmers who more than doubled us in
the yield of crops last year. These men
have an inexorable system embracing not
q only all the conditions of successful
. farming, but Of business success in any
, line. We believe the days of cotton
planting on a large scale numbered, and
would counsel our farmers to retrench
, in this particular to practice intensive
farming, for nowadays, quantity, we
may say great quantity, Of crops per
{ acre Is needed, if money is to be made
and gradually, bit by bit, build up other
! industries, until cotton shall not be our
main crop. Of labor, such az it is, we
have an excess; of other labor than black,
under present conditions, there is no
/ prospect and no need. Let US seek such
crops as can be raised with as little as
T. possible of hand labor. We hope to see
the time when our country will be
r devoted very much to truck and stock
and fruit raising and canning, and
let US not forget to try tobacco.
: While in other portions of the State
= and among our neighbors northward
, this plant is being raised with much
success, why should we not at least MAXI
fair experiments with it too? All OF
= our naturally well-drained soils vii
, grow. BY friend living in the section
. of North Carolina which raises the
| highest priced tobacco, the golden leaf
\ | with whom We are now in correspon
. dence on the subject, we are inform
;. ed that this tobacco is raised an chin
i quepin lands, which commands from So
n to $50 per acre. He states that tobacco
4 pays about six times as well as cotton
The News and Courier lately published
valuable and encouraging information
. on this subject. We have written t.
engage a smallquantity of the seeed from
!, the variety mentioned ,and,wip If desired
. furnish it in small quantities to our friend
: for experiment. Let nc one undertake
to make even an experiment with thi
. plant who has not made up his mind t.
q pay strict attention to it. That we cal
Q raise large crops of it we have no doubt
9 and are only undecided as to the quail
! ity and amount of work required in on
d moist climate to keep it free from worms
. Persons desiring further and most salts
= factory information can get it by send
;, ing to the Southern Fertilizing Company
II Richmond, Va, for a pamphlet writer
4 by Major Robert [. Ragland of Hyco
y Halifax county, from whom seed 0