Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1892-03-17
AN OLD FARMER TALKS.
He Gives His Experience and
Advises Young Men How
to Succeed.
Editor MiSSissmni Leader.

iSulNOi -hiSniSHIpIi i'e''''Ni'
AS | was a successful farmer for
about 40 years, | have often thought |
ought to give young men of less ex-
perience, the benefit of all learned.
| was raised on farm aud when |
commenced farming after leaving my
father, was supposed to be as good
a farmer as most young men of my
age. l made my beginning in Cham
bers county, Ala. in 1898, on poor land,
unimprOved. A small negro boy was
my only help in building cabins, and
clearing and cultivating land. We
enclosed 20 acres, and cultivated 10.
The first year we made 75 bushel of
nubbins. Having resolved to seek
first the Kingdom of God, and His
righteousness, and owe no man any
thing, and to use both muscle and
brain as He gave me ability, and leave
the rest to Him. felt that the Is
bushels of nubbins was all deserved.
The year following, having a white
boy to help, we got in 25 acres more,
planted 4 acres i'll cotton, and made
two bales, which were sold at cents
per lb. and netted 5000.
Corn and fodder brought good
prices, but | had but little to sell.
decided that while corn and fodder
brought good prices, not to plant cot
ton at Z cents, so the third year, |
planted all corn. | made good crop
of corn, which was too plentiful and
cheap to sell. The cotton crop for
that year sold for less than an average
of cents a lb. had no cotton but a
supply of corn for two years, SO
planted all cotton next year, knowing
that however low the price, the sale
would be clear gain, with plenty of
corn on hand. Planted so acres and
made 40 heavy bales. About Christ
mas, sold my crop for nine and one
sixteenth cents. When planted my
crop, the price was to cents, in early
fall 6 cents. This and the previous
crop of corn, taken together, were the
most profitable years | ever had, for
the capital employed. The price of
property was low i'll proportion to
price of cotton. was not working to
pay debts, owed none. The farmer
who spends his money before he
makes it, will repent it in majority
of cases. BY paying cash for what |
bought, and buying nothing | could
produce or make on my place, | was
enabled to lay up something every
year. | never owed a dollar that |
could not pay when due and never
had mortgage on my property. One
of the troubles with our people is
overreaching and living beyond their
means. The remedy is to keep out of
debt. Some do it and are prosperous.
During Is years of this sort of expert
ence, made and sold enough to buy
ten young negroes and a good tract of
land, and settled in Harrison county,
Texas, surrounded by thrifty class
of farmers. soon found that | knew
little about farming, comparatively.
Had used strictest economy, and unit
ing perseverance and was reasonably
prosperous, but all these years l had
been in the kindergarten class. had,
however, learned one important les
son and profited by it, and that was,
never plant cotton to buy corn and
meat, as was then the practice of
some, and now the practice of many
farmers. generally sold corn
enough to pay my current expenses,
and had my cotton money to buy
property with.
During these years, by combining a
little brain power with muscle, l
adopted change in the usual way OF
planting and cultivation which some
of my neighbors thought of little inn
portance, but it soon enabled me to
get ahead of them, and to realize
about 33a per cent. more to the hand
than on previous crops of which
will give particulars in my next arti-
Gle. If Ifappreciated, it will be of great
er benefit to young farmers than a
half dozen Sub Treasury Bills. Ex-
perts, who have learned more in five
ten, or fifteen years than l learned in
40, are not expected to appreciate OF
profit by my experience.
HENRY WARE.
Pass Christian. Misc.