The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1891-12-10
FARM NOTES.

Keep ahead of your work; crowd 1t
but never allow it to crowd you. This
is good advice, but like much that is
freely rendered to the farmer, it is moi
always practicable. But it is Gooo
motto; and every effort should be
made to act up to it, and the nearer il
is reached the better the chance o.
success. Work well planned is hall
executed. Some of the most success
full farmers I have met never seemed
to be in a hurry The fact is, they
had no occasion. They had long-laid,
intelligent plans to which they work
ed steadily and in good time, so that
the task was accomplished before a
rush was necessary.
The tussy, tearing, rushing farmer
is seldow up with his work, as his eff
forts are not the outcome of good judg-
ment and deliberation.
From every section of the state
comes the report that farmers have
been compelled to stop blowing on ac-
count of dryness of the soil. This is a
good reason for delay in seeding small
grain, but is no excuse for quitting
blowing for next YEARS crops. Rough,
cloddy soil is very unfavorable for
small grain in such a dry season, but
is not Objectionable in simple land
breaking, as there is plenty of time
for clods to crumble before planting
time. In fact, the rougher the newly
plowed land the more readily is it
acted on by frosts. Although there is
no fertility in frOst-which is simply
the absence of hcat-it has the effect
of swelling and bursting the soil, re-
ducing its particles and rendering it
filter for the sustenance of young
plants.
Practically, therefore, there is fer
tility in frost, and the wise cultivator
OF the soil gives it all the chance pos
sible.
Let the blowing proceed whenever
a sufficient team can be used. Not
only will the soil be improved, but
noXious insects in their winter quar-
tiers will be exposed and killed.
Many farmers would gladly reduce
their cotton acreage if they knew
some safer and more profitable crop;
but they hesitate to flee from their
present trouble, lest they land in 9TH
ers equally disagreeable. But they
have no right to any guarantee of sue
cess without risk. They have got to
stage in the cotton business that loss
on years work has almost become
certainty. They could hardly grow
more Improbable crop, and if fail
ure or two should reward their eXpe-
riments in search of new one their
position could scarcely be worse than
at present, and success might crown
their efforts
Some farmers when advised to
grow less cotton take up the position /
of the advocates of the subtreasury,
and require their advisors to name a
more profitable substitute.
Now admit it is much easier to /
eriticise and pull down an institution
than build one up, or find a good sub /
stitute; but the office OF critic and that
of builder should not be expected in
one individual. The critic has mis-
sion as exalted as that of the builder,
though it may at times be dishonored.
He may see and proclaim error with
out being able to point out direct
course that everyone can travel in 1
search of the other extreme. The ag- .
ricultural critic may proclaim the un-
wisdom of growing cotton in the pres
ent aud prospective condition of the
market, without fixing upon any one
crop that would be profitable sub
stitute in every instance. The prof.
table substitute can only be determ.
ned by experiment based on local
conditions and public requirements.
The character of soil, proximity. to
market, shipping facilities and public
must all enter into the
,aicuiation. One farmer would FIND
money in hay, another in oats or bar
ey, another in potatoes or fruit and
10 on, while failure would perhaps
ollow tho cultivation of any of the
'therS. What is needed is pluck and
to find the substitute. The
ield Is wide, unlimited. There are
many field crops that could be profit S
.biy grown II we knew how, or APP
lied ourselves to finding out. While
here is an excessive supply Of GOTTEN, I
here is a deficiency in lax and the {
oarser fiberous plants, such as jute :
md ramie. Could they not oe
.rown proftably in some
'otton sections? Then there
s broom corn which in the past two
months has advanced from $50 to Slo0
Der ton. Here is a crop said to be as
afe as cotton and vastly more profita-
Die and yet the supply seem to be de-
,reasing annually. The consumption
3 said to be 50, 900 tons per annum, and
he supply only 1000 tons. The sup
Div being less than the demand, the |
price goes up; not altogether to the l
'aiser's profit, for that is the specula- {
or's opportunity. The Spectator can
My realize a profit in a rising mar 9
zet. Wouldn't broom corn suit some I
'uined cotton farmer? Castor beans
ire reported by some who have tried !
hem, as sure and fairly profitable t
crop; and so with many others. l
If farmers will look around and |
tudy their conditions and try a few
experiments they will find that cotton
s not so essential to their existence as
hey have been in the habit of believ-
ne. :