The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-01-24
THE FARMERS OF GEORGIA,

From the Tabotton, Ga Era
Our country is emphatically country of
farmers. We may look in establishment upon
the accomplishments of the professions: NAV
boom railroads, build manufactures, grow
commercially great, but we are forced to ac-
knowledge that the hub in the wheel of the
business would IS farming We have cleaned
few facts in regard to the "old time farm
ing" that may be of interest to some of our
younger farmers, and may tend TO show them
the sreat progress made in agriculture since
a comparatively recent date.
Modern farming implements are wonderful
improvements on those in use during colonial
times. The man who, with one mule to his
plow, turns up the soil, may think he has q
tough time making living, but he is mis-
taken. We have it from good authority that
as late as 1856, but little more than one hun
dred years ago, it required -four oxen. two
men and boy" to run plow in the west of
England. We read of farmers in the colony of
Virginia, whose plowS were drawn by four
horses, driven by man on one of the horses
Those plows must have been cumbrous and
complicated machines. The pillow used Mt a
little later period was n stock with peg stuck
in il near the top which was held with one
hand. The other hand carried n stick to keep
the awkardly constructed plow hoe cleaned off
The idea of having plows with handles as
we now use them, seems to have been very
slow to occur to the old forefathers.
In some eases, grabbing hoe bound TO a
beam was used with perfect seriousness for
SCratCnng the SOIL. Farmers then thought
that to ''plow deep" would ruin the land, so
they merely skinned the surface. But this is
Hot the only surprising and amusing feature Of
this rude manner of farming. Flows in addi-
tion to being miserably poor ones, We're eX-
remedy scarce. We learn that in Massachu-
Tets the fortunate owner of pillow some times
made business of going about to plow for his
neighbors and the town would row and then
pay bonus for keeping in repair the only
plow within its bounds. Nearly every farmer
now has good wagon, most of them have
buggios. and transportation is easy But in
those days, two skids fastened together made
a drag or sledge,' 10 which was hitched an
OK or horse, and with that clumsy team they
moved their goods.
Ihreshing was done sometimes with fail
and in some states wheat was trodden out by
horses or oxen in the open field. The early
colonists learned from the Indians 10 fertilize
by placing whole fish under each hill of corn.
\ part of the pay given to preachers in some
places near the sea was SO many FISH from each
pariShioner 10 fertilize his com ground. From
these few facts we can plainly see that no de-
partment OF work las made greater progress
than has farming, and the belief that anybody
can become q good farmer is entirely wrong,
There aie many poor doctors poor lawyers.
poor merchants aud poor farmers; and it re-
Qulres a man Of industry and good practical
business sense TO become good anything.
10 10 man Is an extensive stock OF useful
information moro valuable than TO a farmer,
and the most successful among them are those
who study thur business
Save all you can. both of health and money.
by using DIR. Bulls Cough Syrup. Price 25c