The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1889-10-29
No. SO

being taken to drain the most valuable
land first so as to reap the advantage
as soon as possible In this way the
drainage can be guadually done and
the expense hardly known.
One of the greatest drawbacks TO-
the improvement of the land is this
miserable system of year to year.
The first thing tenant does is to
look around for the richest pieces of
land or place that the proprietor has.
possibly improved bit, crops it for
one year, takes all he can get out and
put nothing in retnrn. The year after
the same process is repeated until the
last hearts blood of the soil is sucked.
out.
The tenant is not to blame; he has.
no inducement te make any improve
ment as the next year he has gone to
pastures new. He cannot have anY
farm yard manure or stock for il
takes the year before for the stock to
make the manure and as he removes
to new place every year he cannot
take the manure with him and is of no.
use, leaving it for another to have the
benefit at his expense. If there was,
say, ten year tenure then something
might be done, but under the present
system it only means ruination.
The rent should be fixed at so much
per acre and not by proportion of
the crops as is now the case. Il
would be the means of making some
tenants work harder for they know
that the rent must be paid before they
can have anything for themselves, be-
sides they would have all the excess
in a good year to themselves AS tits
now they know that no matter what
kind of crop they make they will at
least get their share, so do not care
And l would give no tenant piece
of land unless he was able to supply
his own team and run himself for
one year at least. If he canrot do
this it would be better for him to
work as a servant. If he has nothing
he has to borrow and then is taken
advantage of and at the end of the
year he has nothing if he even comes
out clear.
II the farmer goes on in the pres
ent system it is only question of time
when this fine country will not support
itself. In fact it hardly does so now.)
| must say, a pretty pass for such a
country to come to. How about all
the baled hay, Western pork, etc.,
that we see coming in every day? In
stead of being an export country lex
cept for cotton) it is one of the best
markets in America for Western hay
and pork, etc.
The stock as at present is draw
back to the country. It requires more
money expended on the fences to keep
the few miserable animals out of the
crops than all the stock is worth ten
times over. Simply the stock is of no
use, the manure is all lost in the woods
and it takes them all the summer to-
make up in condition what they lose,
in the winter, so after year they are
just where they commenced.
l assert that stock farming COM
bined with cotton and other crops can
be made to pay better in this country
than it does in the western part of
America. Here we have beautiful
climate with plenty of good water,
within easy reach of the Northern
markets, and also to shipping ports to
the old country which consumes so
much of American beef every year,
and is sure to increase its demand.
On the Western plains the stock die
for the want of water in summer and
freeze to death in the winter, and
even after they are in fair condition
they are poor and jaded before they
reach the Eastern markets and bring
small prices, whilst the cattle fed
here can be put in the markets in two
days at the most in fine. fresh condi-
tion and bring the top market prices.
1 consider this part of the country
one hundred years behind. They
have no agricultural implements, no
teams worth much or fit to do proper
work, and the ideas of their grand
fathers so impressed on their minds
that it seems impossible to make them,
believe that the world is really on the
move at all. The world is moving fast
now and those that do not keep up
with it are sure to be left so far be-
hind that they will be left in the cold
entirely.
With all the advantages this splen-
did country affords to farmers, /
think it is disgrace for it to be In
snch a condition, and | consider it
slur cast on the great giver of all
things not to take advantage OF all
that is so bountifully offered us.
PAT MATTHEW.
Greenville, n. G.