The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1891-12-24
FARMER AND PLANTER.
SUCCESSFUL EARNING.

state convention Az HSASAoS
Ga.
Mr. PRESIDENT AND GENTLEMEN OF THE
AGRICULTURAL CONVENTION OF GEORGIA.
While gratefully approaching the high honor
of being invited to address SO digniied ana
important an assemblage of 3eorgians. In
attempting to obey your command must
first remind you that lay no claims to ora
tory or elOquencei and if l speak at ALL
must talk as farmer to his brother farm
ers, in q plain, blunt, practical farmer
like manner. My mind has been more upon
how to farm-to prepare my land-to fer
tilize-to plant and cultivate it-and save
what 1 have made, than in cultiVating
the graces of composition of pubic
speaking. Plain. practical talk, without
attempt to ornament or display, is all
promise you, and not too much of that. In
talking, as in more serious matters OF wor-
ship, we may safely adopt the ideas ex'
pressed by d. Samuel Watts, that
''Short duties keep devotion up.
Ar lmake religion sweet"
AS tilIers of the soil, we are following
pursuit as Old as the history OF man. Its
successful accomplishments is the basis OF
all prosperity. All other persons and aVo'
cations depend upon ours. Our success
makes theirs possible; our failure involves
them in common disaster. This is not said
in spirit of Boosting vain glory, but to i'm
press us IuOEO SGHStDAJ VITA OHA 80
sponslblity, not only for ourselves,
but for all the people of all the
country. When ruin stares us in the face
the whole world breads impending disaster.
That we may intelligently pursue the
methods for our own and the general good
Is my heartfelt desire; and in order to help
to tile accompli shment of this worthy OBJ
leet, permit me to suggest some things we
can safely avoid and others we can con-
hdaDtIv nrpSa w the Certainty of commit
ting no error
First We can not succeed as farmers with
out giving our personal attention to our
farms. The gentlemen farmers, who give
little attention to and live away from their
farms, all fail as farmers. The men who
live ON their farms, and are too respectful
to the sun to rise before he does, and mu- {
quit work before he retires-whose pointer
and setter dogs, and hounds, and gus. and
fishing tackle engage moro of their thoughts
and study than the proper blowing, fcrtil-
izing, cultiVatng and gathering and mar
ketug of crops, are miserable failures, as
farmers; and they may wall as Jeremiahs-
sing mouinfuI songs dIscouragIng to all
farmers and people; they may denounce,
and in MANY resp cts correctly too, the bad
laws which impose unnecessary burdens
upon all the people; they may suggest Il
thousand remedies; but it viii do them no
good, and render them of no Value in the
progress and prosperity Of the country
Intelligent, preserving, personal attention
to the details of the farm by its
owner is essential and indispensable
to it's credit or profit II a
farmer could borrow twice the value of his
land at one or two per cent. per annum or
at no per cent for five years, and be slOvenly
in his methods, careless and lacking in per-
sonal attention to all the details of farm
economy, he would waste the mOney-eRt it
up-and have to give his land to the party
who had loaned him money on the same.
All the outside help that can be given us,
whether from the money lenders, factors or
government, will not help us, but hurt them,
unless we learn to help ourselves. Our own
brain and Drawn, our energies, our
hearts and hands must solve for us
the problem of our success or failure.
Unless we personally attend to our
own business We had better abandon
| all hopes Of success. We will be unable
either to pay debts or support and EDUCATE
our families, All the aid. individual or gov
ernmental, will be a waste of sympathy and
| support on those unworthy of either
Again, unless we grow In knowledge of our
| business, those who are progressing and
| keeping up with all the advances in agri-
| cultural knowledge and Improvement will
| get far ahead of US. LIT progress be the
| watchword. We need to know the nature
| of our soils, and what they are naturally
| best suited for growing, what fertilizers
| suit them best, what form of rotation of
| crops will keep them from waste and run
| ming down, what utensils will cultivate them
| best, how to drain and prepare the soil for
| the best results after careful, faithful cul-
| ture. We should study the markets, our
| nearness to them, the cost of transportation,
| the products which best suit our lands and
| which the world needs most; and should
| endeavor to grow those Things which will
| best repay our labor. Successful farming is
| a science as well as a business 1t must be
| studied, understood and pursued with the
| same thOroughness, energy and close atten-
ton as other pursuits, and as Its prime i'm
portance and necessities demand.
Again, farm should be self sustaining
To be this there must bo diversified mixed
| crops. No man can prudently risk ali on
| one crop. No man can make cotton to buy
| grain and hay, beef, mutton and pork, sirup
| and fruits, eggs and butter and wind up his
| years business without finding IL stringency
| in his finances, and too little available cur.
| rency for his wants and the wants of those
| like him. When you find a farmer whose
| farm is self sustaining, who buys nothing to
| eat. but sells these things, You hnd home
| Of peace and plenty. The farmers of Geor.
| gia need buy only their salt and coffee
| their farming implements, their clothing
| household articles, books and periodicals
They should raise their stock for farm Dur
| poses, and the grain and hay needed to fe ed
| them. If the money whirn goes out of the
| state for provisions of all kinds and for
| mules and horses. all Of which could be
| grown in the state, was kept here we would
| ny intense farming, raise all the cotton
| needed. and keep the bulk of its proceeds
thus there would be little, il any money
stringency, and vastly less desire to borrow
money at any rate of interest.
Another thought: Farmers ought to get
out of debt, and keep ont of debt when
| they get out The debtor is a servant. and
| his task Is a thankless one. II ne paws
| his honest debts he only does his duty
| II he fails he suffers reproach and abuse,
| Debt is hard and cruel taskmaster Tho
| remedy for this is to spend less than VIC
| make 1t is not what q man makes. but
| what he saves that makes him comfortable
| and increases his wealth. Money easily Dor.
rowed is quickly spent, and hard to repay
| Let farmers not be over anxious to borrow
| on any terms or at any rate of interest, how
ever low, for honest men must pay bach
what they borrow. A fear OF debt is whole
some. farm covered with mortgages /,
not happy possession, but is q good place
for Its owner to have nightmare. self-de
NAL, economy and intelligent industry car
soon clear this land of so many debtor,
1