The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1891-04-09
Department,
MARIETTA URNAL IS THE
Official Organ o. the Farmers Alliance
Of Cobb County.
BETTER FARMING NEEDED.


depression IN agricultural prosperi-
ty, says the American Cultivator,
probably rests upon farmers them
selves. 1t may seem hard saying
to men who have doubtless greatly
improved on olden methods to tell
them that even these are not good
enough. We believe, however. that
this is the truth. Low as prices
have been, farmers who had the
money, skill aud capacity to diver
sify their products have been able
to make some Of them pay. AS they
have found some parts Of their bust
ness profitable these have been ex-
tended and the less profitable por.
tions have been left to those who
could not or would not take extra
pains needed to make the required
changes. What the best farmers
have thus done is just what sagac>
ious men in other branches of bust
ness are always doing. Merchants
and manufacturers study both the
market and their natural advantage
for supplying them. If anything
does not pay they drop it as soon. as
they can, and go to producing or
dealing in that which does pay,
The obstacle which interferes
with most farmers pursuing this
same policy is too much and too
poor land, too poor class of stock
and too little working capital in ev-
cry respect. The farmer who cult
Yates more acres than he can make
the best of is not improving the OPP
portunities he has. II year after
year he puts his fields in crops that
can be grown with the least labor
because his land is not rich enough
for other crops, what wonder is i
it he does not get even day wages
for the labor that has to be done
If he milks cows that under hi
management does not yield 15'
pounds OF butter per year, ant
makes even that of a poor quality
it is not the fault of low prices tina
his doing business does not pay. |
prices of dairy products are advanc
ed, so also will be the cost Of feed
ing his cows, and he will be no bet
ter off than before. 1t is just as i'm
possible to make a condition q
markets where the enterprisin
farmer who keeps good cows an
makes the best of butter shall no
have an advantage, as it would b
to make poor quality of windfal
fruit sell equally high with that 0
the best varieties carefully hand
picked and put up in tasteful pack
ages.
| What is needed to make farmer
generally successful is that they
learn and practice better methods
| Most farmers would do better if they
had less land to work, provided they
applied to the remainder as much
labor, capital and skill as they
now give to the larger area. Mon
ey is not in these days made BY
land, but by the labor applied il
working it. Thousands of marke
gardeners succeed by this concen
tration of their efforts on small
area. They early learn to grow
crops adapted to their ability t.
properly care for, and only whe1
they have abundant capital will the,
extend their acreage, instead of ap
plying more labor and money in cul
tivating the original acreage. AS
market gardener remarked to us +;
year or two ago: IF | had double
my present capital | should not wan
a rod more of land than l have now
1t is far better for profit to decrease
the crops grown outside, in which
there is most competition, and t.
grow more under glass, where com
petition is less, and where article,
thus produced always bring far high
er prices"
The application of this principle
to farm work ought not to be diff
cult. In growing the best of every
thing the farmer lifts himself above
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