The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1891-12-05
GRENADA. MISS, SATURDAY. DECEMBER s. 1891
"Whas Can No do to Relieve The Distrssasd
Condition Of the FArmsrs9"

"Whas Can we do to Relieve The Distreessd
Condition Of the Farmsrs9"
Editor Grenada SENTINEL
This Is the important question asked
BY your correspondent, 'Hog and HON.
iney" in your last issue. I propose tou
amend the question 80 as to include
our people as whole, for nothing can
be truer than that the prosperity Of all
trades, avocations and professions in q
purely agricultural country are depend
ent upon the prosperity Of agriculture
itself. The town with its trades, pro-
fessions and general equipments may
seem to prosper amid the waste and
ruin round about it, but it is only seem
ing prosperity, for dry up the fountain
from which flows the stream and the
stream itself will disappear.
It is possible to have rich and pros
porous country without a town In close
proximity to it, for the country might
live and prosper with mere shipping
points, but it is not possible to have a
permanently growing and progressive
town, in a purely agricultural section,
without progress and prosperity in the
territory from which it draws its sup
port, unless the condition as to terri
torial area be abnormal, which condi-
tion cannot long obtain in this day Of
new railroads and close competition ia |
trade.
The fountain may flow with it's wa
ters diverted from It'll natural channel,
but the stream cannot be retained with
the fountain destroyed.
The interests Of town and country, |
and in a large measure the various |
general av0cations are mutual, and
whatever condition brings disaster to |
one interest, must seriously affect the
others. To the thoughtful it must be
plain that we are all In one boat. and
dangerously near the rocks Of disaster
and ruin.
Most Of us will agree with your cor
respondent that over production of cot
ton and under production Of corn, meat
hay, peas, potatoes, horses, mules and
the many other things necessary for
home use, are the principle factors in
the make up Of the condition which
confrpnts US and it is plain that the only
remedy h in return to the good old
way Of our fathers ''who never bought a
pound Of meat or bushel Of corn," but
had these things to sell to the nom
producers engaged in other business
activities. 81
/ have great yenerstion and respect
for the good old ways and methods Of
our fathers and mothers. Their ways
and methods were suited to the age In
which they lived, and the conditions
which prevailed, and resulted in sue
cess-independent happy homes, self
preciate what they did and what they
were, and when brave public man on
one occasion put to his audience the
question: If your children fall as far
below you as you do below your fathers
and mothers, who made the early his
tory Of this community, what will
YOUR grand children be?" confess I
thought of my children and the poster
lty Of my neighborhood with earnest
sOlicitude.
Let US get back to the principle Of
self sustenance OF our fathers. Ways
and methods should be such as the con-
ditions require, but the principle of
self-supporting homes should be restor-
ed and adhered to.
How best make the start on that line;
Your correspondent is level headed
sensible man, for the first thing he
comes in contact with when he starts
toward progress and prosperity, is the
''fence question" He gets on the
wrong side Of it, but the fence is right
where he finds it at the start.
His fence and cross-fence system Is
too expensive. oThe great body OF farm
ers cannot use it. It requires combi-
nation Of money, labor and timber, all
Of which Is scarce in some communities
and one or more Of which Is scarce in
all communities Of this county.
Let us try what more progressive and
more successful sections have pron0unc-
ed q success-the no fence law.
We have statute which provides,
that upon petition Of two-thirds Of the
land owners Of any District or fractional
part thereof, the Board Of Supervisors
shall cause to be erected around said
District a public fence, to be paid for
| by q tax levied on the lands 80 enclosed,
| Il being unlawful thereafter for stock
TO rum at large In such enclosed Dis
trict. have not the statute before
me, but 1t has proper provisions to meet
its purposes.
Why not two-thirds Of the land own
ers Of each District in the county sign
such petitions and have our county
fenced, thereafter, enclosing the stock
and not the farmsp The tax would be
insignifcant compared with the pres
ent cost Of fencing the fields. Other
counties, or parts Of counties contiguous
| to us might Join US, making the field
larger and tho proportonate cost less:
Under this system our fields would at
| ali seasons be ready for planting. the
various crops We ought to produce:
The land which is now tramped and
rooted to death all winter by the worth
less stock that roam over 1t at Will,
would be loose and mellow in the
spring, and ready for successful culti-
walton. There are many other advan-