The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1888-04-14
SOUTHERN AGRICULTURAL.
A City Farmers Views.

A recent trip to Southwest Georgia
furnished food for thought and reflec-
ton rs ! rode through the country and
looked over tho farms Leaving
Shcllman. in Randolph County. and
driving southwark. l passed through
a section that is rather thickIy wooded,
with here and there an opening show
ing up some fine farming land, which
Is slightly undulating. enough SO to
give picturesqueness to the scene and
speculation to tho progressive farmer
with his sulky plows, grass mowers.
cultivators, etc The trouble is, the
stumps are in the way, the farmers
seem to give little thought towards
their removal and final extinction. 1t
is . surprise to me that farmers do
not try to get rid of stumps.
and then with sulky plows
rexpcrs. mowers, cultivators.
etc. make farming pleas
urc. What beautiful sight this sec
non will present when this time shall
come; it will equal tho prairie lands
Of the West, but with climate un-
surpassed IN the wide world. Another
surprise is, why are not these lands
studded with beautiful farmsp !
know it takes time to do this, yet we
are obliged to think that the hundreds
of people seeking farm lands and
homes arc ignorant Of this beautiful
section of Georgia. OF course am
not certain that these lands are for
sale; simply take it for granted that
tho owners would not object 10 selling
of few thousand acres All along
our route. for fourteen miles, did sec
this broad territory Of lands, any part
of which can be made to produce two
or three crops per year when once in
cultivation.
saw, however. marked improve
ment In the matter of new frame
houses instead Of log cabins. and
around these new board fences in
place Of rails. Whenever these peo-
pie wake up to the Importance of the
stock law. then surely enough will
Southwest Georgia come to the front.
The farmers arc generally using more
fertilizers per acre than formerly.
hereby enlarging the yield of their
crops and giving better satisfaction
when properly and judiciously
handled. Tho two-horse rlow in pre-
!. pairing land, deep breaking up with
fertilizers plcntifully distributed in
sleep burrows, will go along ways in
resisting the drouths and bring bot
ter crops
could not help thinking over Prof
Gully's plan of restoring worn-out
lands as we passed. tho cotton lands of
antc-bellum times; how easy. with q
little patience and good Judgment,
this much can be accomplished. and
what is called wOrn-out lands easily
restored. Some people. however. have
an idea that lands once worn out are
valucless; but whom we read of lands
in China and Japan that havc been
cultivated hundreds of years. and are
better now than ever. we know there
is reason for 1t, which can be moth
ing else than caro- taken in those coun-
tries In returning to tho soil what is
drawn from it, in the way manures
and crop rotation. Tho same theory
is applicable to our farm lands here in
the South.
Mr. w. L. Glcssncr Of the Americas
(Ga.) Record has been doing vast
amount of good In his published ar
ticlcs on grass and stock, and sooner
OF later the people will learn that his
ideas. if carried out will be of lasting
benefit and his grass crop more valu-
able than our cotton. because it makes
tho farmer and country self-sustain-
ing. Already have many farmers de-
parted from tho old ruts and made q
good start in the new grooves / have
observed that while they are slow rs
u general thing IN experimenting.
when shown the crops and the prac
,ical workings Of the system with its
results. they ''catch on very quick.
lam moro than ever satisfied that
the word contraction" should be
written on the gate-post Of every farm
or; he should draw in the fences. pillow
deeper. manure heavier. have barns
and cribs near the house, stay al
home, let disturbing politics alone,
and keep pure bred stock and poultry.
This reminds me of neighbor who
tried the experiment OF keeping UP
one pig to see what he could do. The
result was reached a few days ago
four hundred pound hog was butch
cred. Another neighbor. whose hogs
got lost in the swamp, says he is go
ing to put up four pigs next spring and
see If he can have some decent pork
next fall. as he has to buy lard, an d