Nevada County picayune., 1888-02-29
AGRICULTURAL.
Diversified Farming.

South for the past twenty years ana the many improvements and advan- ces made in every branch of this ln- dustrv. is q sufficient guarantee ot hotter times in the near future. lp ,o inc berinninu of the war between tho States the Southern States produced all the necessary bread stuffs for the comfortable and even luxurious sustenance of life. Such a thing as purchasing wheat. corn. oats. rye and other cereals from the North and West was unhcard of. Every planter raised all these things in superabundance, and hiS cotton furnished him with money to supply himself with all the productions of other sections and countries. which could not be raised i'll his own. Then the Southern planter lived like a lord. He had negro slaves who came at his mod or bid' and every thing around him conduced to the highest social intellectual and litera- " culture.
 But the war between the States came on. The nohlest and best Of the land went down to bloody graves upon the field of battle. the slave was set free. and all things as if by a miracle. was changed about Us. Men who had not been accustomed to manual toll. seeing the condition of things staring them in the face pull ling off their coats, rolled up their sleeves. and went hcrOicallN to work. In many portions of the South perhaps q greaterportion. the planter ran in the same old groove and pushed his eXertions to the rais- inc of cotton. and to the neglect of the cultivation and raising of those other products essential to his com fort. He soon found that his corn and smokehouse were i'll the West. and that it took the entire proceeds of his cotton crop to purchase these essentials.
 With these facts staring them in the face. many enterprising men for past few years have diversified their crops. planting less cotton. corn. wheat. rye, oats, barley: extended their pastures. raised horned cattle. hogs. mules. moved their own hay, all with the happiest and most remu- nerative results. More than this many have turned their attention to the cultivation of fruits and vegeta- bles, and get the advantage of early shipments North and West; have met the market earlier than any oth- CT section. thus securing ready sale, at renumeratiVe prices. There IS one notable instance in Madison county. Dr. Mckay. western man after the war, purchased tract of poor land. and seeing his neighbors with cotton on their brains. turned his attention to the cultivation of fruits, vegetables and berries. We see if stated that his strawberries, alone last season netted Sj. .O0O. His shipment of this delicious berry was the largest of any one place in the |. $. This one instance should be sufficient to set our cotton growers to thinking. IL should teach them a valuable lesson, of which they should take advantage. Several planters in this and the adjoining counties of Monroe. Oktibbcha and NoNubee have made hay raising a success. and now this much needed article of forage is abundantly supplied at our doors instead of drawing from the fields of the West The raising of milch cat tie. too, and the establishment of creameries has furnished our markets with an abundance ofthe finest milk and butter, and kept at home the money which had formerly gone to foreign and Northern markets.
 We call the attention of our read CTS to these wonderful successes wherever the venture has been made to urge upon them to raise less cot ton and to devote more of their at tention to the raising of corn, wheat. rye. oats. hay potatoes, fruits berries and vegetables. Actual experiment has proven that il can be done with paving results.
 Providence has given Us the finest climate in the world. with rich and diversified soil. with forests of all kinds of wood. water priveleges unexcelled, and il only requires the genius. energy and determination of the people to utilize the benefits so bountifully conferred. - Columbus