The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1892-10-06
Monthly Talk with Farmers.

Since the last months crop report was
issued, the excessive rains in many local
tiles, and particularly along the water
courses, have worked incaluculable in
jury to the growing crops, and that
which at one time was an exceptionally
fine prospect has been materially in
jured. This condition is more marked
on the bottom lands, and in large Dor
dortion of the cotton belt, the
COTTON
on the light gray, sandy lands has the
appearance of having been scalded, and
rust, which is now general, has DESTROY
all hope of any further growth or matu-
rity of fruit. In the lower portion of
the state the heavy rains, coming lust at
the critical fruiting season, have short
ened this crop very materially. A short
age of one-third in the fertilizers used
and in many cases the inability of fail
as rapidly and as thoroughly as their
condition demanded, is another cause
for the pnpromising prospect as to fruit
ing. The weed is small everywhere, but
on stiff lands where fertilized and well
worked at the proper time, is we'll fruit
ed. But general survey of the crop
throughout the state indicates a large
reduction of the yield in the present
crop. But, however great this reduc-
ton, the large surplus from last years
crop, which is yet on hand, seems to still
exert a depressing influence on the mar
ket. Never in fifty years has the price
OF cotton opened SO low, and the fact
that our chief money crop is produced
at a heavy loss has not only impaired the
credit of the producer, but has, to a
great extent, paralyzed his energies, and
many farmers are casting about for
some other employment by which they
hope to bring relief to themselves and
their families. While our farmers are
cramped and there is
A FEELING OF UNREST
apparent over the entire country. there
is another class of our citizens as sensi-
bly, affected, and but for the careful
methods and business sagacity of many
OF our merchants in dealing with these
perplexing problems they too would to-
day be in condition as distressing as
that of the farmer. Many of these are,
however, conducting their business on a
credit basis, their credit based on our
main staple crop and when this crop is
selling below the cost of production they
must necessarily bear their proportion of
the general suffering.
Since the war we have pursued false
system of farming, which looked only to
immediate results, without regard to
the future building up of our lands. AS
long as the price of cotton was fairly
above the cost of production, this system
Injured to the benefit of the merchant,
because it enabled him to sell to the
short-sighted farmer the supplies which
he ought to have raised at home.
In return, the merchant secured the
cotton crop, which would always com
mand the cash when put upon the mar
ket. 1t is true that in isolated cases
farmers have by this plan made money,
but it is only where very large yields
have been secured, and where great en-
ergy and ability to control labor have
been demonstrated. Some farmers
have better business qualifca-
tons than others, and as with
merchants, their qualifications enable
them to succeed where their less astute
and enterprising neighbor would fail
But no matter what a mans qualifica-
lions, he cannot successfully conduct a