Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1892-03-27

but no matter what ne may call it, the
| event well illustrates the case of the season
in which a certain general crop happens to
fail of paying good returns. To quit that
crop by one fell swoop, because it did not
happen to pay last year, would be just
about on par with quitting mules forever
because one mule had happened to take
collie and die Who could say all mules
on the farm would at once die of colicl
Whocould say that the low price paid for
the cotton crop Of 1891 would be the same
for the crop of 1892
! We are not disposed to advocate the uni
versal adoption of any clop for any region,
yet it is entirely true that we are earnestly
opposed to fighting any particular crop
grown in region adapted to its growth.
We are in favor of farming on correct
principles. The first thing for farmer to
take into consideration is his own home
supplies. Such is correct farming. While
1.-The farmer feeds them all,'' as they say,
he is, at the same time, expected to feed
| himself. He could not long run without
feed, and since feeding people is his trade,
why not take advantage of that trade to
feed himself by it, If he don't feed HIM
self some other farmer will have
to feed him, for the feed cannot
come through any other channel than the
farm. What would you think of the me-
chanic who has all the facilities for grind
ing and putting his tools in order, who
would invariably take his tools to some
other shop to have them ground, paying the
us ual per cent of the profits to the other
fellow on the performance, while he was
grinding tools for others (all he could get
to grind) on precisely the same termsl OF
course there would be profit to him in
grinding the tools else he would not grind
them. Then why not grind his own tools
and save that profit to himselfl
1t is precisely the same in farming. If
some other farmer feeds you he does it for
profit. Why not feed yourself and save
that profit TO your business7
The true principle of farming is for the
farmer to feed himself If he has all the
food needed he is safe. Then, being solid
on the feed question, it is natural that he
should wish to make some extra money out
of his business. With this in view he
raises money-paylng crop of some kind
in addition to his food crops. When he has
raised all his own food crops ne has fully
met all the requirements of a farmer who
desires to make a living at farming.
The extra crop to bring in money is simply
a side issue-an advance toward gain.
And here comes in place for the exercise
of good judgment; place for the farmer
to study himself and the capabilities of his
farm. Some men are qualified to succeed
better with a certain crop than they could
succeed with others. Some farms are
better adapted to certain crops than they
are to others. All farms must be adapted
to food crops-if they are not, then no
farmer should ever think of working
them. Farming, as already intimated, is
feeding ones self
As to the extra crop, for gain, the farmer
must decide upon that by study of his
own capabilities and the capabilities of his
farm. If he finds cotton would be apt to
pay him best, under ordinary circumstances,
then let it be cotton, by all means. If corn
would pay him best, let it be corn; if castor
beans would pay him best, let it be castor
beans; if peanuts would pay him best, let it
be peanuts; if watermelons would pay him
best, let it be watermelons; if small grains
would pay him best, let it be small grains;
if hogs or other livestock would pay him
best, let it be hogs or other livestock, and
so on to the end of the list of all the good
crops our region is capable of producing.
A great deal is said about diversifcation
of crops, but we are not much in favor of
great diversifcation in the moneyed crop
at the hands of the individual Raising the
home supplies should not be regarded as a
diversifcation, but as a necessity for all
good farming. After that, if the farmer
takes pains to find out the crop that would
pay him best, he needs no dieersifcation
If these rules were strictly followed by
farmers, there could be no more hard times
among the industrious portion of them.
The good living would be secured, and |
while contingencies might arise that would |
prevent their making and laying up much |
money in certain years, there could be no
fall-back. Actual expenses would be paid, |
as a rule, and the less profit the surplus on |
the moneyed crop brought, the less money |
would be laid up for that particular season
nothing more nor less Make the farm |
sustain itself and then make all the clear
to make his farm self-sustaining, if he will,
is what makes farming the safest and most
Independent business in the world.