The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1885-07-08

| culture.
American Agriculturist for July.l
No doubt a stranger visiting a south,
ern locality for the first time, may see
many things which he thinks deserving
of criticism. but it is always safe before
one criticises anything new in strange
place, to wait until he understands
something of the necessities 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 cot
ton and corn grown I'm 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 1t Is quite possible
to change ones circumstances i'm many
cases, and after some years experience
with southern agriculture, it seems
quite evident that southern farmers
can make better use of their land than
to so thoroughly exhaust it by contin-
ued cropping in cotton and corn, as to
disable it from producing even the
common weeds. Rotation of crops is
taught us by nature. Anyone may see
how nature practices this rotation, i'm
the springing up of pines and other soft
woods, on lands from which hard
woods have been removed, and the
growth of hard woods uppn cleared
pine lands. When the soil has been
exhausted of certain elements which
have furnished food for cotton, corn 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 exhausted 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 rule,
southern farmers have gone to extremes
in their disregard of these requirements
of the crops, and the ability of the soil
to supply them: hence the great
amount Of poor, abandoned land which
is left to grow up to weeds, and "Old
field" pines and oaks. 1t cannot be
charged against southern 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 OPP
portunity for beginning new course
in this respect. A great European war
appeared to be imminent but a short
time ago, and many think that it is
postponed for but short time.
Should it occur, its first effect probably
will be, to affect the cotton market dis
advantageously. This will force SOUTH
ern farmers to grow some other crops,
and the first and best of these crops
will be grass and clover. Then will
follow the feeding Of stock, the produce
ton OF beef, mutton, pork, wool, butter,
cheese and fruit, and other valuable
and indispensable products. These
will not only bring in 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 manufactures, which will
occupy the magnificent water powers,
and utilize the vast wealth of timber
and valuable minerals. Then will
follow railroads, shipping, a great in
crease of population and prosperity, and
all these will make the South what its
great natural wealth and unexcelled
climate fitted 1t to be-the richest por-
ton of the United States.