The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1888-03-01
SOUTHERN AGRICULTURAL.
A City Farmers Views.

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looked over the farms. Leaving
Shellman, in Randolph County. and
driving southwark. 1 passed through
y section that is rather thickly 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 the 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,
reapers, mowers, cultivators,
etc, make farming pleas
ure. What beautiful sight this sec
uon will present when this time shall
come; it will equal the prairie lands
of the West, but with a climate I'M
surpassed IN the wide world. Another
surprise is. why are not these lands
studded with beautiful farms? 1
know it takes time to do this, yet we
are obliged to think that the hundreds
of people seeking farm lands and
homes are ignorant of this beautiful
section of Georgia. OF course l am
not certain that these lands are for
sale; simply take it for granted that
the owners would not object to selling
off few thousand acres. All along
our route. for fourteen miles. did see
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, q 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 are generally using more
fertilizers per acre than formerly,
hereby charging the yield of their
crops and giving better satisfaction
when properly and judiciously
handled. The two-horse rlow in pre-
pairing land, deep breaking up with
fertilizers plentifully distributed in
deep burrows. will 60 along ways in
resisting the drouths and bring bet
ter crops
could not help thinking over Prof
Gully's plan of restoring worn-out
lands as we passed the cotton lands of
ante-bellum times; how easy, with a
little patience and good judgment,
this much can be accomplished. and
what is called wDrn-out lands easily
restored. Some people. however, have
an idea that lands once worn out are
valneless; but when we read of lands
in China and Japan that have been
cultivated hundreds of years. and are
better now than ever. we know there
is reason for it, which can be moth
/ ing else than care taken in those coun-
tries in returning to the soil what is
drawn from it. in the way manures
and crop rotation. The same theory
is applicable to our farm lands here in
the South.
Mr. w. L. Glessncr of the Americas
(Ga.) Record has been doing vast
amount of good in his published ar
ticles on grass and stock. and sooner
OF later the people will learn that his
ideas, if carried out, will be of lastin o
benefit and his grass crop more valu-
able than our cotton, because it makes
the farmer and country self-sustain-
ing. Already have many farmers de-
parted from the old ruts and made a
good start in the new grooves. I have
observed that while they are slow as
general thing in experimenting,
when shown the crops and the prac.
teal workings of the system with its
results they catch ON very quick.
am more than ever satisfied that
the word contraction" should be
written on the gate post of every farm
er; 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 a neighbor who
tried the experiment of keeping up
one pig to see what he could do. The
result was reached few days ago
four hundred pound hog was butch.
cred. Another neighbor. whose hoes
goslost in the swamp, says he is 60
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
he evidently thinks something is
wrong in his way of raising pork.
As have before stated, these South
west Georgia lands are just as we'll, if
not better. adapted to stock-raisino
than the Northern or Middle States:
just as nice butter can be made there
as in New York; just as fat hogs and
cattle as can be grown anywhere; So
with fruits; in fact, any thing that
grows out of Gods green earth can be
raised in this section. Some johnson
grass was cut on my place Tin Cal.
h0un County, this year that grew