The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1889-06-18

change In an enforced agricultural
revolution. 1t is a hard matter to
teach an old dog new tricks, and even
if soil and climate favored, leaving
out of the question the great loss to
be incurred and the capital required
for the change, it would be a very
difficult matter to accustom a tobacco
planter to the ways and habits Of a
cotton or rice planter, or trucker, or
to any other mode or system in the
endeavor to introduce a new maOnEed
crop or staple.
The truth is, we tobacco planters are
a fixture here, and our very existence
is dependent upon a staple that will
have to be stuck to through thick and
thin, no matter what happens. 1t is
idle to talk about superseding tobacco
by any other staple. The thing can't
be done. The soil alone, the very
mother earth itself, solely adapted to
the growth of tobacco, proclaims
aloud against any innovation of the
soil; for the cereals, even if the pres
ent rates justified such a course, such
is the nature of the soil throughout
the tobacco region, could not become
staple crops. We live in the very
heart of the worldwide famous "to-
bacco belt," a belt of country which
alone produces a variety Of tobacco
that can't be raised anywhere-"bright
tobacco"-but unfortunately we can't
all succeed in making what, strangeto
say, is peculiarly adapted to our soil
and climate. The expression, "bright
tobacco belts" is rather a misnomer,
for comparatively few succeed in
making bright tobacco, and it is owing
to this fact that we now experience
our present financial distress. In the
bright tobacco belt by far the greater
quantity of tobacco raised consists of
inferior grades; grades which tobacco
of other sections can successfully COM
pete with, and it is owing to this very
fact of the great area opened in other
States during the last decade for the
production of this inferior grade,
thereby causing a superabundant over
production, that we no longer obtain
remunerative rates for this description
of the weed. This being the case,
and in face Of the fact that bright to-
bacco will always hold its own; enjoy
a monopoly, without the least fear
of competition making it a drug on
the market, the question naturally
arises: Why, then; don't we all con-
fine ourselves to this payable sort,
this gold -colored, as well as gold-yield-
ing, quality of the weed? We hear
this song on all sides, with a never
ending refrain, stereotyped in capital
letters, but, as an actual remedy from
which the least good car be derived,
it is of but little worth. Where one
succeeds in making bright tobacco,
scores upon r fail. 1t is not
worth while to consider the cause of
these failures to make the bright
grade by abiding to bad culture, un-
skillful curing, etc. It suffces simply
to state the fact. Just let any one 60
to a tobacco warehouse and walk
around amongst the piles of tobacco
and he will be convinced of the truth
of the assertion.
There is no help for us, that l can
see, but to bide our time and get
along in some make-shift way or other
until the only possible means magma
BILE of an amelioration of u present
helpless condition is brought about,
and that is, until those sections which
we're induced to innovate upon their
customary staples by the then high
price Of tobacco return to their old
system and let us alone in the pursuit
of our lifelong avocation of tobacco
r~aisers. This, l see, is being done in
some instances, but how long it will
take before the practical effects of the
process of withdrawal on the part of
those sections will be realized, by the
resulting depletion of this over-pro-
duction, is something rather beyond
ones ken to determine. Until this
time does take place, l can see no help
for it but to grin and bear it and get
along as best We can in the bare en-
deavor to keep body and soul to-
gether. I have as yet cen no remedy
suggested worth a moments consider.
alton. They are but a ness and hash
up of feeble platitudes watered down
to nothing; as antiquated as the hills
of Dan river, and they no doubt
prevailed amongst the savages in pre-
historic times when game was scarce.
When one has got the toothache, and
there is no dentist nor remedy at hand,
there is nothing for it but to en-
dure the pain until it ceases by its
own sweet will, and there's about the
short and long OF u fix.
AS the case stands, there is a faith
| omless hiatus hetwean the cost of nro.