The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-01-31
HINTS TO FARMERS.
COMPOSTS ARD COMMERCIAL
FERTILIZERS.
That Must BE Brought Into General
Use AZ she Country Is 10 Ne
Prosperous.
IcoRREsroypExcE or -Hx IPPKAL.I


HOLLY SPRINGS, Miss, January
f9.-As the Irishman said, I'VE al
ways have some kind of weather in
America" This week it has been
thick enough to cut The old song
which the young folks used to sing
half a century ago at their shin
digs" which ran thus:
at rains and it halls. and It SHOWS stormy
weather,
cider"
That take" now has been changed
to something stronger than cider, {"
and il he is in North Mississippi he
will find it in a Jug generally filed
across the Tennessee line. The
farmers, however, are as class less
addicted to intemperance than like
number taken from other pursuits
in life. Passing one n few days ago,
in Tate county, actively engaged rsk-
ing up leaves on the roadside, | saw
be was OF the progressive kind, and
| asked him if he was intending to
make compost with them. He in
formed me that he was, aud would
put them in his lot where they would
be rendered soluble by the tramping
of his stock, and with the aid of
phosphate aAd kainit, he would have
very excellent fertilizer. On fur
Their inquiry about the success OF
this gentleman in farming, | learned
from q peighbor of his that this man
had made money every year farming,
having moved into the county when
quite poor, since the war, and was
now the owner of two very excellent
farms. All the farmers of any pro
gressive spirit now admit they must
do something" to better their finan-
cial condition. To that class who
are hide-bouud and turn a deaf ear
to better methods and improvements
in their manner of farming, / would
place tin trumpet fivc feet long
against their hearing organ aud in
fate larger than that balloon fellow
in your museum, aud into their ears
q blast" should 20 which would
make them Jump out OF their skins
or render them as pliable as Her
Hsags. Look at the statistics OF
Georgia, the Carolinas, Virginia and
Alabama in AGRICULTURAL products.
The increase is wonderful. All
these crops produced by the aid OF
fertilizers. True, here and there in
the Memphis district, some are
catching on" and those are using
commercial fertilizers proftably, but
the masses know nothing and care
lese about acquainting themselves
with them. One great obstacle in
the way OF introducing the use Of fer
tili2ers hereabouts comes from the
largest land owners, who either crop
on shares or rent out their land.
They say they cannot afford to buy
fertilizers for free niggers." 1t is a
very poor argument to advance,
when, If one is benefited, the other
must be also. The buyer of the fer
tiliZors most generally is found
amongst the smaller farmers, and
those who work or superintend their
farms closely. Memphis cannot
thrive and continue to boom with u
lot Of ragged, poverty stricken far
mers all round about her. Solid pros
perity comes from the patronage of
thrifty, money-making agricultural
class, and this cannot be controvert-
ed. Now to get the farmer upon this
road to prosperity, he must change
his old "ruts," work, fertilize, ecOno-
mize, diversity, and above all things
he must not forget to read and study
the columns Of those papers which
print SO much on agriculture. Look
into books, seek information, ac-
quaint yourselves with Whatever
book -farmiDg" you can, and Just
what you learn you will find it of ad-
vantage, for an ancient writer living
in the age of Cato. Plinny and Virgil
said: THE Roman farmers hitherto
by experiments have established
many maxims and their posteriiy
generally initiate them; but we ought
not only to initiate others, but make
experiments ourselves not directed
by chance, but by reason" Furman
OF Georgia, who died few years ago,
did much toward enlightening his
neighbors in successful farming. He
was an intelligent gentleman, made
practical experiments, and had
most extraordinary successes in
his fertiliziDg methods, and
when he accomplished his expert
ments he did not withhold the re-
suits, but gave his agricultural
fellows the full benefit of them. l
notice the results of the contest the
past year for premiums offered by a
fertilizer factory down in Georgia for |
The best yield Of cotton and corn
upon Q given number Of acres Of |
and. The farmer who obtained the |
prize, $3.50 in gold, made 1889 pounds |
If lint cotton on five acres, and the |
one who got the prize OF $3.50 for the
corn made 496 bushels on FIVE acres.
The total yield Of five of the con
.estants for the cotton premiums
On the FIVE acres each was 20,467 |
pounds of lint cotton, and the total
ike number for the corn premiums |
was 2l65 bushels-all accomplished |
BY the application of phosphates or |
plant food. Millions of tons OF fer |
.ilizers are now being used in Geor-
ia, aud the farmers are growing
richer each year. West Tennessee |
md North Mississippi must spur |
up" and do likewise, and then there |
will not be such straining 10 make |
buckle and tongue" meet.
The Secret OF Mr.. TIlden's Success. |
The great secret of Mr.. Tilden's |
success as political manager aud |
organizer in New York was the |
.horoughness Of his system and his
Lptness in presenting issues. He had
. list of the active Democrats in
,very school district in the State,
With their postoffice addresses. This
list was corrected every year. In dis
,ributing political documents each
me Of these workers would receive
i've copies at time with a request to
circulate aud report the effect. 1t
vas waste Of good material, he always
aid, to send out documents in bulk