The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-03-13
WORDS TO FARMERS.
Read and Inwardly Digest ..- Maybe
You Are Not Hit.


Every Southern State can be made entirely
selfsustaining If the farmers would only farm
wisely. Georgia could produce all her food
supplies from her own soil II the farmers
would but turn their attention 10 dlverslmeu
farming. We can grow corn, wheat, oats, rye,
barley, millet, sorghum, clover ana the grass
es We can raise hogs, sheep, cattle. horses
and mules. Wecan raise all kinds of poultry,
so vegetables and fruits Of all kinds, and with
such advantages, and market at our doors
for all such things, Georgia Is large importer
of all the above supplies. Perhaps the lar,
money that goes out of the State, and out of
their pockets for food supplies; ana horses
and mules that can and should be raised by
the farmers OF Georgia, We vii! take our
sidered ore among the richest counties in
Georgia, and considered well adapted to grain,
grass and stock raising, with an intelligeni
class of farmers, and see the amount OIL 1ood
supplies that are imported 10 Rome for the
people that trade in that city, including far,
mers, and when ascertatned from facts anu
figures, it Will be seen what an amount OF
money leaves this county for food supplles
that should be raised by cur farmers. SIX
million pounds of Western bacon sold every
year, q $50 barrels of flour; the meat import
ed Is worth from $4SO.OOO TO s6OO,OoO ana the
flour $l27,jOO making S797,5oO that should 60
into the pockets OF our own farmers, this
money goes to the West to enrich the pork
and flour dealers and farmers This amount
OF money Is from the city OF REtne I aone, sd so
cities in Georgia for bacon and flour import.
rd to feed the people Of this state; ~ ~
amounts 10 millions OF dollars for only these
| two articles. bacon and flour; in addition
mules and horses are imported, also corn, nay,
butter poultry, eggs, vegetables and fruits,
| when all such should be raised ny georgia lar.
mers. Is itany wonder that Georgia farmers aers
[ of all these things. instead OF being producers
and the furnshers? The farmers OF Georgia
| il they farmed wisely and economically,
should feed themselves, and supply our cities
and towns in part, at least, with fresh meats,
poultry, butter and eggs, vegetables and
| fruits, and stop this large amount OF money
| being sent West for such supplies.
| Our system of farming for the last twenty
years has been perniciously wrong. We have
farmed for the benefit Of others and to our
injury and ruin. We see 1t and are convinced
of It, viii we continue doing SO. or change
and farm for our own benefit? That Is the
question to he decided by the farmers them
selves. l have shown you the money-the
| vast sum-tllat goes West annually from one
| city, Rome, from your earnings for merely
| two articles, bacon and -four, S121 $40; no won,
der we are poor when you see how our hard
earnings are spent, and how easily IL can DE
stopped if we would only change our system
and raise our own corn, wheat and hogs, and
supply ourselves. The year 1883 Is now at on
end; The new year 1889 Is now on hand, SO In
preparing for another crop, resolve on raising
your own food supplies In abundance, and lei
your cotton be surplus crop. have hearc
many say, "I would farm as you suggest and
| raise my food supplies, but am in debt and
must raise cotton" My answer is, you have
been on that line twenty years, and you are
still in debt as ever; docs not that convince
you that your system Of farming is wrong
and you are only farming to keep yourself IN
debt and bondage? So change from system
that keeps you in debt and bondage, and try
another where your chances are much better
| to get out OF debt. If you can do no better
| sell half your farm and pay your debts an
take q fresh start by changing system thai
keeps you in debt and try the system OF rails
| ing your own food supplies, and cotton sufi
cient as your needs may require: Some place
much hope on the Farmers Alliance. The
Farmers Alliance is great institution for the
| farmers IL they live up to its constitution ano
| ritual, one of its chief objects Is TO make the
| farmers become self sustaining, and buy al
| they needfor cash, avoid debt and keep out o.
debt and bondage: and the only way of doing
| so, Is to raise all your food supplies, youl
horses, mules, cattle, hogs and poultry. and
live as O farmer ought to live, free and indie
mers farmed and lived that way, they were
the most Independent of all classes, theii
| barns and smoke-houses were full from theil
own raising, they went TO their own hocRs fol
| their meats, their own garners for bread, theii
own yards for poultry and eggs, their own dat
| r!es for milk and butter. and their own or
chards for fruits. The earth Is the same, the
Of their brow, they labored honestly In their
fields and God blessed their labors and re-
warded their efforts, and why can't 1t be the
same again? 1t can be, and Will be, If we Will
| farm as we should farm. The change has been
| in our system OF farming and not the change
! of natures laws.-Jno. II. Dent, IL, Southern
| Cutirator.