The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1890-06-12
Z NOTES.
THE -EETTING WORSE WHILE
DOCTORS ARE LEARN.
LILLY DISCUSSING HIS
Y1o DISEASE.
NOTES..
rhe Farmers Alliance Should stick to Its
Educational Work and Leave
Politics Alone.

This column is edited by Mr.. John C.
Edgar of Duval, to whom all communica-
tons should be addressed.l
THE FARMER is SICK.
The American farmer is sick, very
sick, and the doctors are holding con-
situations over him. His disease is
complicated one and of such long
standing as to have almost become
chronic, although his sufferings are
acute and fluctuating. He has from
time to time been treated by physi-
clans of repute as well as by obscure
quacks, but none of the remedies APP
piled have had any beneficial effect
and his condition is more critical to-
day than at any period in his history.
The doctors differ in their diagnosis
of the disease and consequently in
their treatment. Some declare that
he is suffering from political paralysis,
some that his ailment is caused by
combination of capital, some that tariff
tax is the cause of the mischief, others
that his disease is plethora of the
pocketbook, induced by superintendent
crops and excessively high prices for
same.
In the meantime the poor man goes
on suffering and getting worse from
day to day. He has taken, neverthe-
less willingly, all the nostrums pre-
scribed but his last condition is
worse than the first. DIR. Jerry
Rusk gave him a prescrip-
ton recently which he declares
will effect a sperfect cure, but there
has not been time to give it trial.
1t is, however, doubtful whether it
will produce the desired result, and
the patient has no faith in it. His
remedy is mixture of crops and
tariff on imported agricultural pro-
duce. DR.. Macune has proposed the
application of lotion composed
of government funds advanced on
crops bonded in federal warehouses,
specific which DR.. Carlisle, another
professor in the healing art, declares
will only aggravate the disease. The
oleomargarine plaster was expected to
give great relief, but signally failed,
and now our adulterated lard pill is
being prepared which will have as
mucheffect as water on ducks back.
While the learned professor" are
gravely considering and consulting
and administering their worthless nos-
trums needless of the protests of their
patient, that long suffering being feels
and knows that he is being sacrificed
on the altar of political humbuggery.
AS with many patients suffering
from physical diseases where
nature only requires a chance to eff
feet a cure, so with the American far
mer sick from an excess of political
action.
He does not need more political &C
ton, but less. He does not need
special laws for the protection of him
self or his profession. What is need
ed is the abolition OF laws that now
operate against him. Glass legisla-
ton is contrary to the genius of free
people, and an extension of class leg
islation cannot remedy the abuses
caused by partial application of it.
The farmer has many difficulties to
contend with, but the one great cause
of his tribulation IS our accursed tariff
system which robs him of one half OF
his labor. The reduction of the tariff
to revenue basis, while it would not
make every farmer prosperous and
happy, would remove a barrier that is
now insurmountable and the cause OF
much of our agricultural depression
If the doctors could but realize the
true cause of the farmers indisposition
and agree to apply the above remedy
there would soon be marked inn
provement in his health.
TOPPING COTTON.
To the Editor of the Statesman.
Sir--I am much interested in your
agricultural column and generally
agree with you in your advice about
the cultivation OF corn and cotton. |
would like your opinion about topping
cotton. / have piece of land that
grows corn and everything else fine,
but when l plant it in cotton it grows
away up, tall and spindly and does not
branch out like the same cotton does
on some other land and it does not
fruit we'll.
have been thinking of topping IL
this year with the idea that it will
make it branch out. Can you advise
me and tell me the lest time to do it?
What is the cause of its running sky
high, anyway? BLACK WAXY.
have had no experience in topping
cotton, but have noticed that plant
the top of which has been uipped off
will branch out, but whether the
bushy plant will bear more fruit than
the one alongside in a natural shape |
could not say. The former will shade
the soil most, which is an advantage
but the growth of weed and fruit de-
pend upon entirely different elements
Some soils have an excess of stalk
food and are deficient in the fruiting
element, and only the application OF
the latter can insure full crop. As
your cotton spreads on some soils it
is evident that the "sky high" growth