The Bossier banner., 1891-11-26
FARMER AND PLANTER.
COTTON FLAT.
RuinOus Depression Threatened from
OTef-PrOductiOn.


OTef-PrOductiOn.
The papers report that the first bale
of cotton of this years crop was sold In
Liverpool at seven cents. This means
a low price for cotton in our home mar
kets for the present crop-a price be-
low the cost of production. This IS
more than the farmers can stand; 1t
means fttinUus depression from over
production. This is practical warm
ing of what should be the future policy
of southern farming, that is, to reduce
the area planted in cotton largely, and
increase the area planted in grain and
grass, and raise more stock. In short,
diversified farming becomes necessary,
if we expect to make living at farm
ing. For years our farmers have been
admonished of the folly OF planting
so largely of cotton, the danger of over
production, that it must end in their
ruin, but admonitions were disregarded
by them, and by their persistence in
planting more cotton at last they have
been overtaken by the disastrous re-
suits they have been so long forewarned
of. The lesson now learned by practical
demonstration must surely convince
them of their error; at least, it is to be
hoped it will be convincing, and in
future they will change their system OF
farming. The low price that cotton
has reached may be considered mis-
fortune by large majority of the
farmers But consider it q blessing
in disguise if it will have the desired
effect of causing a thorough change
of our system of farming, which
has proved so ruinous and wrong. That
system must now change as q matter
of preservation, for no one can
even make living at any business
when the price of production is greater
than the price the article will COM
mand. Cause and effect comes in as a
monitor that can not be disregarded;
the results settle the question. The
question Is often asked by the farmers:
How are we to make money if we don't
plant cotton? We may ask this ques-
tion first: How much money has been
made by making cotton and buying
your food supplies? An experience
of twenty years answers that ques-
ton. Again, I'll make this PROPOSE
tom If farmer will raise all his own
food supplies, and make his farm self
supporting, he will make money and
become independent by raising one
! third of the cotton he makes now, and
having his provisions to buy. l know
this from experience; there is no sur
missing about it, but fact. Well, if
III e.,
there would not be an over-production
| of cotton, but what cotton was made
VIC uld sell at profitable prices, and the
farmers would be rich, compared
with their present circumstances
And why can't so simple a
proposition be adopted and bet
ter their conditions, instead of
toiling as they are at cotton, that
has become drug OH the market, cost
ing more to make it than what they are
paid for it. The fact is, they keep from
diversifying their crops, believing that
it is easier to make cotton, and buy their
| food supplies than the trouble of rails
| ing them. That is the error and mis-
take they have made, and by so doing,
the crop they have placed their faith in
has become worthless from overproduc-
| tion. l will venture this assertion:
| Take two farmers, and let one plant
three-fourths of his farm in cotton, and
one-fourth in grain, and let the other
| plant three-fourths of his farm in
grain and grass, and one-fourth
in cotton, and in six years, the one who
has planted three-fourths in grain
and grass and one-fourth in cotton
will be decidedly the better off, and
have the better farm of the two. !
will further say that southern farming
will never be successful until that sys-
tenn of farming is adopted. AS we are
now going on, we are impoverishing
| ourselves and our farms, and what
money there is in cotton goes to build
up the towns, railroads and commerce.
leaving nothing for the farms and
farmers. The world is now for money.
and the farmers are all for cotton. be.
heving cotton is money. What money
there is in cotton goes not to the farm.
ers, but to the world. It is high time
| for the farmers to change their base OF
operations and make some money by
making their farms support them
! Southern Farm.