The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1890-10-16
FARMER AND PLANTER.
FARMING IN MISSISSIPPI.
Negro. a Mule and a PIow to Every
Fifteen Acres.

/
! Fifteen Acres.
| Some portions of our land was not
planted until the 5th of June, and
much of this was chopped out on July
| !, owing to bad weather and scarcity of
labor. What has become of all the ne
| groes coming into the Delta the past
spring is mystery. Either they have
returned to the uplands, or the acreage
has been so greatly increased, making
a greater demand. Certain it is that
labor is very scarce at $1.25 ger day.
1t seems to be a settled conviction here
that success in farming consists in
growing the largest crops with
greatest number of 1aborers, and on
these large plantations it is con-
slant effort to get 'shands." This, of
course, makes the laborer independent
and worthless. No strict business plans
can be inaugurated and no farmer who
sees that he gets the value of his money
can hire any laborer, because on the
larger properties there is more chance
to shirk. One of the great difficulties
in the way of small farms is the above
fact 1t is easier to obtain labor on one
thousand acres than it is on one hun
dred. The cause is obvious. The rule
here is the more land one can put in
cotton or corn the more bales and
bushels will be harvested. There is no
profit in this, neither is it expected,
but as tenants or share workers, the ne
gro's crop usually pays his rent and sup
ply account, with usual profit thereon,
AMI the profit on supplies, gins, ETC., is
where the money is made. There is no
doubt that the alluvial soil of this delta,
undet an improved or extensive system
of agriculture could be made highly
profitable to owners; but so long as the
negro can be had the outfit will con-
tinue to be, a negro, mule and pillow to
every fifteen acres of land. My expert
ence has been that this land requires
more work and for longer time than
our uplands, and it is impossible for
any negro, under systems brought about
by his freedom, to cultivate properly
over four acres of land, but planters
think the cost of houses, teams etc.,
would be out of proportion to the land
titled. Yet hundreds of tenants trying
to cultivate ten acres to the hand do
not make as much cotton as the one on
less land.
There is no effort being made, or any
desire to do so, to introduce labor-saving
implements, and to familiarize the la
borer with them. Scarcity of labor will
eventually cause introduction of labor
saving devices. The use of the harrow
in broadcast cultivation of cotton and
corn would be viewed with distrust, and
the attempt considered insanity. Cul
tivators can be frequently seen on our
plantations, but are setting under some
shed or clubhouse, having been cast
aside. If the practical, wide-awake,
Georgia farmers methods would be
adopted here there is no question that
the Mississippi valley would produce
more cotton than the world could
consume, SO really it may be a provi-
dental thing that no better systems are
adopted Overflows will prevent any
change here-there is not sufficient Sc
curity to justify one to do any thing to-
wards improving and building up the
country. 1t is time and money wasted.
Our crops are so late and plants so
small there is no possible chance to
make books balance on cotton this
year-in fact, in many sections the con-
dition is bad. Cut-worms ruined hun
dreds of acres of cotton and corn.-Cor.
Southern Farm.