The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-12-04
Southern Farming.

Southern Farming.
We have made it a part of our business
10 propound to every farmer of reasonable
intelligence in,the past month or so this
question: What is the outlook for the
coming YEAR, The reply, as matter Of
course, was neither encouraging or dis
couragng. We were glad to find more of
the farmers than VIC expected, but an
ANALYSIS of tho various replies to the ques-
ton propOunded proves very couclusively
one fact and that is the nearer a farmer
mas come TO that condition implied in the
term living at home, the more cheerful
and hopeful has been the character of his
reply 10 the question. In propoundiug
the above brief question to-day the coin
cldence exhibited itself that the small
farmer sitting on his bale of cotton this
saturday. Nov. -, was the pess mist
while the jeans-clad citizen, with basket
Of eggs on his arm and load of potatoes
to sell, was the optimist. This was a fair
conclusion frOrN the days observation by
orr philosopher who set out
bright and early on the date named to get
tine drift Of public sentiment
an farm matters from the workers them
selves. We madeit our special business
loquestion the small farmer as to his
4.
affairs aud at the same time OBJ
tain a few facts as relate to the
past years work. AS remarked, the man
who lived at home as near as it was pos
sioe for him to do was the cheerful man,
aud anticipated the future hopefully.
Friends and fellow citizens, as the stump
orator would say. we must accept the
facts, farmer must be a farmer. It was
never intended that he should be Spe-
t4g|I-t and tn mo az
with which to buy the dozen or more
things that he needs or must have. \
farmer must be Il farmer and what is il
that a farmer should be, We take it
that he must be a man ''whO lives on his
laud;' who raises nearly everything that
he really needs. OF course. it is very
easy to say what a man should do. and
there are plenty of people who can tell
man what he can do or should do and yet
not do il themselves. This is the way of
The world, and will so remain for all
time
There must be. many who can preach
who never practice their precepts who
know how thing can be done and yet
never do it. The preacher says Live at
home, and yet buys everything that he
consumes There are plenty of farmers
who realize what their true policy is, yet
never observe it. This has been
the case with southern farm
crs for years, but for some
reason or other they have not carried out
their intentions in regard ito a policy that
would enable them to live at home. There
IS not one southern farmer in a dozen but
what knows he can live at home if he
chooses, at any rate he can come very
near doing 1t. He cannot grow his
tea and coffee, but he can raise very
nearly everything else. The majority of
our southern farmers we verify believe
have had III mind for years a system of
diversity that would make them almost
INDEPENDENT of all outside aid, but for one
reason or another they have failed to make
that ideal system operative. We have
heard many of them outline policy that
We know would make them Independent
In the course of few years, but somehow
they have never put it into effect; surely
they will some day 1t is easy to theorize
what can be done when one IS half aslee }
or half awake. Action requires that one
be wide-awakG.
We know enough Of southern farming
10 recognize and admit the fact that many
farmers, large as well as small, have been
forced to continue system that their
better Judgment told them was wrong,
but they were not able to get out of
1t owing to the lack of capital
ready cash, This is a thing as
necessary to the farmer as it IS to the
merchant or banker, aud yet the farmer
is compelled TO carry on his business fire.
quently without it. Fortunately for the
world he can carry it on in way without
any of it sometimes. But under such con
utons it must be admitted a very unsat-
lstactOry business.
In European countries it is almost i'm
possible for a man to engage in farming
without more or less capital, and. as a
natter of course their farming presents
an aggregate appearance much superior to
Ours
Tn England or France. or other Eu-
foPoan countries. a man must have Ger
lam amount of capital" without which
ne cannot hope to engage intarming; but
IN Tins country up to the present time it
mas been possible for the most impecuni-
Gus to follow the occupaton almost with
"9J dollar of ready or prospective cap
But what about the outlook" for farm
.72 IN the SOUTH you may ask my dear
inpatient reader. To be just to our own
"llosophic observation and to be candid
WIN YOU. there is no outlook in any
ways pleasing or comforting unless it is
on me assumption that our farmers in
Tend henceforth 10 live at home, by which
we mean nothing more or less than that
me farmer will, as much as possible,
I"7e everything that he finds necessary
ior his use Well if you dispute this, we
nave not biDrr 70