The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1886-11-04
The Farmers Meeting and Gen.
Lees Speech.

caHSe iLrF real Interests arc
intenlepcndent. A. full report
of the proceedings will I've found
in another column. The spirit
or the meeting was in the
main well tempered and conserra
tive, and il there were those present
who desired the adoption of extreme
measures toward their merchant
creditors, they were amenabIe to
wiser counsel.
The event OF the meeting was q
speerh Ivy Gen. S. d. Lee, President
of the A. d NJ. College, who was
here by special invitation for the
purpose,
Gen. Lee began lis speech by
stating that the farmers of the coun-
try are really in q much better con
dition than they think they are;
that there has been an increase Of
1859, 900, 900 in the value OF stock
alone since the war. Farmers are
slowly and gradually getting out OF
debt and growing more independent,
in spite Of the general depression
and opinions'to the contrary. Their
Indebtedness in 1886 is 40 per cent
as compared with 20 per cent in
1893. The chief trouble with the
farmers OF our country is the exhaus-
zion Of their soil-their land, by
bad management, is getting poorer
every year; whereas its fertility
should bc increased or at least
maintained. Some men object To
scientific farming, but scientific
farming is common sense farming.
Our tanners do not apply business
principles in the management OF
their farms. liza merchant starts
in business with ten thousand
dollar stock and consumes it in
living anil other ways instead OF
increasing his capita we call him a
failure, yet that is about the policy
the farmers of Mississippi have
been following in the past, the
speaker with the rest. A farmer 8
land is his stock in trade, and he
should value it accordingly. The
mistake has been Il to place no val
he on land; ~ steady loss Of cap
ital; (3) ths'land with constant cul-
tivation without fertilization gets
poorer and poorer every year and
crops need greater nursing and
more careful work; a. the farmer
then begins to think the times are
growing harder and that himself and
family must economize and live hard;
(5) the next thing is mortgage,
and at last he goes on and loses his
farm. Merchants are often to blame
for the farmers troubles-there are
rascally merchants-but they are
only one half to blame--the farmers
themselves are responsible for the
rest.
The thing to do is to organize,
and correct this system. If
farmers would just quit grumbling
about their troubles and would or
game and be led by their most IN
lelligcnt men, they could work e
in their condition. If
his is not done, We will lose our
birth right, the very heritage that
was left US by our fathers. There
ought to be farmers clubs in every
1eighborhood, and O county club,
and frequent meetings and consul
atoms There is no necessity for
between merchant and far
ner. 1t is perfectly legitimate for
ZACH to organize for the protection
IF their respective interests, which
IRE interdepcndent.
If farmers would better their con
iitioD, they should be guided by
common sense and business princi-
,les. The first thing farmers must
10 is to quit cultivating poor land.
All cultivated land must be fed
must be iertilized. You must put
.he same amount back on the land
hat you take from it. This law of
nature is as memorable as the law of
,he Modes and the Persians. All
and, though never 80 rich, can be
worn out by constant cultivation
fertilization, even that Of the
Valley and the famous
Valley OF the Nile. Farming is no
hap hazard affair, it must be done
in conformity to the laws Of nature.
And most of the fertilizers required
can be made and saved at home
without paying for tue high priced