St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1893-11-04
FARMER AND PLANTER
SOUTHERN FARMING.

SOUTHERN FARMING.
Subjects that the Farmer 81 tAs SoatA
6heala Mako . seody o.
THE ONE-cROP PLAN.
Most southern farmers rely mainly
upon the moneyed crop-cotton. In
March, April and May the crop is
planted; in July the crop has been
laid BY" and AuguAt and September
are passed, for the most part, in COM
parative idleness; by November Is the
bulk Of the crop il gathered and sold.
and nearly all the money spent; and
then up to March our farmers per-
form but little work, except TO feed the
stock and keep in . supply of wood.
eating up and consuming largely
what they have earned by their sum-
mer labor.
They are poor In purse, of course, and
will stay poor, and ought to stay poor.
A goodly part of the year il spent in
talking politicA Too much cotton and
too much loafing in town. and too much
talking of politics have almost bank
rupted this country.
ROBBRRY SYSTEM.
Robbing the soil year by year, and
paying back nothing, does not pay in
the end. We know some farmers who
added largely to their bank accounts
by continuous robbing Of the soil; but
the time came when the soil failed TO
respond literally, and in few years
the money in the bank was gone-due
to following this persistent and ruth
less robbing Of the land.
But in time, ~ q matter of natural
consequences, the land had become inn
poverished, and the farmer awoke to
the realization of the fact that in rob
bling the fertility of his land he had
robbed himself. as the gradual disap-
pearance of the bank fund proved. A
number Of Just such men live right
here, and their names and methods are
as familiar As the nose on our own face
or the hand that pens these lines. Some
of their heads are hoary with the fr0sts
Of old age, but not all of them.
REDUCE THE COST OF PRODUCTION
should be the farmers earnest study.
Cost Of production is largely lesscned
in many ways: First, in having the
land we'll plowed and the clods pulver-
ized-in fact, BY thorough preparation
of the soil before the seed are
planted. Second. by using the best
quality Of seed and putting in the
ground in the right manner. Third,
by using fertilizers of the right kinds
and proportions, wisely applied.
Fourth, planting. cultivating and har-
vesting rs much as possible by ma
chincry, and substituting animal for
human labor.
1t docs not do to plant . crop on poor
land and expect much profit Poor
soil will not produce profitable crops.
Cannon sense ought to teach this.
But people do not always use their best
common sense to the best advantage.
It is usually good Judgment that in
sures success, and bad Judgment that
results in failure.
II we do not cultivate the mind and
use the knowledge that experience
and reading impart, then we are vast
ing our mental capacities and advan-
tages without practical personal bene-
fits in winning financial success
hiding our light under q bushel"-
sacrificing our wealth of natural mind
and harvesting thorns and thistles and
poverty, when we might have been
able to amass wealth In money. wealth
in knowledge, and q greater wealth in
the reflections of . busy life and days
spent for useful purpose. sf
NATURE HELPS.
Let man prepare the soil and fertilize
it, sow the seed. cultivate the growing
plants, and nature will do the rest.
The better the land Is prepared. the
richer it is made by green or stable
manure and commercial fertilizers,
and the better the seed and the care in
planting; and the more intelligently
and thoroughly the crops are Guilt
waited, nature continually assists mans
efforts, pursues and finishes its work
all the more satisfactorily to the hus-
bandman.
Nature does its work, and does it
well; but IL man neglects to assist ma
ture. and refuses to perform his duty
in making all the conditions the most
favorable, then nature, while still do
ing its work well, can not be expected
to do mans work, too, and bestow
bountiful crops and products Of SUI
perior excellence. In agriculture it
can truly be said that nature helps
those most who helps nature most.
And now, il we do our part well in
sowing, fertilixing and cultivating, ma
ture will do the reSt-sustain and watch
over and develop the plants, and bring
them to maturity and fruiti0n.-Edwin
Montgomery, in Farm and Fireside.