The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1886-01-27
Farming as it Is-Was-May Be
CAUSES OF THE PRESENT DEPRESSION
REMEDIES.

| Editor Chronicle: We ask can.
did and unbiased hearing in the
statement of q few facts. To some.
our views may, On casual survey, be
displeasing, but bear with US. The
picture, though dark in one aspect,
has yet bright side, rendered the
more striking by contrast. 1t is
with sincere desire for the amelio-
ration Of the condition. of our class
that we make this presentation of q
few undeniable facts as to the status
of the average Georgia farmer of to-
day. We deem the present q most
favorable season to attempt some
change for the better. We would, in
the opening, put the question, "Of
what real weight or influence is the
farmer Of to-day, as a class?" You
answer-we vote-"Yes,' and in
common with every Arab on our
streets. Apply the only true test
that Of finance. What is the farmer
in the financial world? AS a class,
almost blank. and yet agricul-
ture is the great industry Of our Sec
ton. Why is it thus? Don't an
swer that the :iller of the soil was
doomed to bear the sweat and bur-
den of the day. The curse is uni
versal. It seems, however, as if the
farmer of the south is trying to make
monopoly of it. There is a reason,
however, briefly given in the fuctua-
tons in the price Of cotton. Hoping
that it would stand at a good figure
we devoted all our time and capital
to the staple. The vast west, with
its virgin soil gradually opens, at
tended by great increase in yield
without corresponding demand, prices
fall, our land the while ridden Of its
fertility by the wasting system of
cotton culture, until at last we have
an average yield of something like
Is bale to acre, with 81 cents as
quotations for middling grades.
With these figures before US, it is
useless waste Of time, to state our
condition. Poor, wasted, reduced
soil; wretehed, tottering cabin; slow,
bony, antiquated mule; few head Of
cattle and swine, if any at all, that
cast no shadow from leanness; half
filed or entirely empty barns. With
such for inspiration no bard of our
southland can ever sing in the strains
OF Scotland's son:
''With Joy unfeigned brothers and sis
tiers meet
And each for others welfare kindly
spiers;
The social hours, swift winged, unno-
ticed fleet;
Each tells the uncos that he sees or
hecrS;
The parents, partial, eye their hopeful
years;
Anticipation forward points the view.
The mother WI her needle and her
shears,
Cars auld claes look amaist as wells the
new,
The father mixes a. wiz admonition DUE"
The rural hearth, proverbially the
abode of peace and plenty aud hap
piness is, alas, too often but the scene
of squalid misery and almost despair
in our fruitful sunny land. The very
comparison with cold, bleak, barren
Scotland should stir our blood and
arouse US to a determination to turn
to profit our rich heritage Of sun and
rain, soil and climate. Few coun-
tries are favored like ours did we but
avail ourselves Of our natural advan-
tages. We know our statements ap-
pear paradoxical, but hear Us out.
Just here we would ask you bear in
mind that we are discussing the con-
dition Of the farmer; we have not to
deal with the financial state Of our
section. We are not attempting an
answer to the question, .I;poes farm
ing pay?" If asked, 4 might re-
turn an affirmative answer to that
question, but would retort, "Whom
does it pay?" Look at the wealth,
yea affluence of every country town
as compared with the poverty of our
dilapidated country homesteads and
the answer is given. Why this great
difference? Why is the producer
poor, the middle classes wealthy.
To answer briefly, we exchange too
much, attended as it always is by
friction and expense. We raise too
much cotton. I have stated but one
evil when mention expense incident
to exchange. Another that ranks
high is the necessity for rotation. 1t
is contrary to the theory and practice
of all scientific or well directed agri-
culture to grow the same crop success
sively for years together on the same
soil. The perfect system would be a
change every year. l don't discourse
on the price of cotton. it's over-pro-
duction, &c. that is too vast ques-
ton; its culture extends over too
wide an area. To say that we could