The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1890-09-04
FARMER AND PLANTER.
PAST AND PRESENT.
Modern Progressive Theories VS.. Old.
Time Ideas About Farming.

Modern Progressive Theories VS.. Old.
Time Ideas About Farming.
An old and old-time farmer feels at
loss to write on agricultural subjects
these times. There is so much modern
theory advanced about science and
scientific theories, and with all these
modern progressive theories, the old.
time ideas and principles governing
farming still holds good, and is the
basis still of successful farming. Sixty
years ago, and prior to that period,
farmers were aware that breaking mp
land preparatory to planting was neces-
sary. Then planting on properly-pre-
pared ground, with proper manuring,
and then judicious cultivation, good
and remunerative crops were then
made, and farmers were pros
porous, happy and contented as a
general rule. Farm mortgages were
then unknown. Farmers raised their
own supplies, made most of their own
implements, made their own manures,
ginned their own cotton, raised their
own meat and bread; in short made
their farms entirely self-supporting.
They were Independent of the mer-
chants feeding them. They lived at
home-supplied from their own farms
that was the natural and true system Of
farming. But how changed is every
thing now from what it was in
those days. My beginning of farm
ing was in those long, long ago
days, and l often refer back to them
with pleasure and compare those times
with the present; and, Notwithstanding
mechanical science has done so
much to aid and tighten the work of the
present farmers, it seems more trouble
some to do the work of the farm now
than it did when farming was in it's
most primitive state. The pillow, the
hoe, the harrow and the sickle we're our
only farm implements then, but they
were faithfully and thoroughly used,
labor was under better control than
now, and work was faithfully done and
crops were as good and more remunera-
tive, for there was less expense in maxi
ing them-the outlay was less, the in
come greater.
Farming in those days was a distinct
occupation, a regular routine business.
Now it is too speculative, hence there is
so much vacillation about it, changes
based merely on theories that have not
undergone sufficient test to warrant
confidence. In such self-reliance is lost
and one becomes too much victim of
circumstances with no decided opinions
or purposes of his own based on ex-
perienee. Farming is as much a profess
sion as law or physic, and requires study,
thought and experience to master it,
not only the science of agriculture, but
the various duties that are connected
with farming, and should require a
thorough knowledge of.
The great drawback to farming of the
present day is the want of economic
management. There is no self
reliance about it; every thing is
made matter of purchase, even
to bread, meat, manures, inn
plements and other things that could be
readily made on the farm; hence ex-
penses in too many cases exceed in
comes. The old-time farmers were en-
tirely self-sustaining modern ones
too dependent. In short, the modes of
farming have not been materially
changed, except in the implements used
as much so as the system. The system
has become too extravagant for the pro-
ductive capacity of the fields The re-
form needed is to reduce expenses and
increase the productive powers of the
fields, and until this is observed farm
ing will not pay.-John H. Dent, in
Southern Cultivator.