The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1894-10-13
FARMER AND PLANTER.
INTELLIGENT FARMING.

As Tar as have been able TO Judge, =
from careful study of the experiences !
of the men who have succeeded in !
farming and those who have failed, /
find that the failures can be traced gen.
orally to lack of the proper knowi-
edge of the principles underlying the
profession.
There are certain laws connected
with farming that must be understood
before one can ever hope to succeed
Perhaps it is not too much to assert
that many of those characteristics that
fitted the Romans for conquering the
world and perfecting their celebrated
Jurisprudence, were acquired, or at all
events, nourished and matured by
their skill, foresight and persevering
industry, so needful for the intelligent
and successful cultivation of their SOIL.
There is no occupation in life that in
wolves such combination OF circum-
stances and sciences as farming; and
vet the men who know least about
these and their relations to agri-
culture are those upon whom the world
depends for support.
The evils that hinder the farmer from
rising at present, / know to be numer
GUS, and will take the most cultivated
brain to correct them.
One evil is the great need of diversi-
fed farming, that effort which Will IN
crease the productive capacity OF the
soil; that which will render fruitful
the barren places; that which Will
level the hill, terrace our mountains
and cover them with vineyards, and
our valleys with golden harvest.
The greatest evil among our farmers
is the idea that they can not raise their
own supplies at home. and that cotton
is the only paying crop. believe IL
we had one or two model farms, con-
Quoted on strictly business principles,
to demonstrate to the people the falsi-
ty of these ideas, we would soon al
levite an oppressed people from a
burden that now forces them to the
wall.
Strange to say, but from all appear
ances there are but few farmers who
apparently seem to be awake on these
burning questions of to-day.
The masses of farmers do not seem
to realize that in buying their supplies
from abroad that the men who act as
middlemen are getting vastly rich or
the profit that they themselves ought
to have. The great reason for this II
that the farmers, the most of them az
not know how to sell their produce
In the first place, they do not under
stand their market. They are in neet
of knowledge as regards the prepare
ton of their produce for the market
and therefore they are compelled t
take less for it. The consequence
that these middlemen buy an
store away all the produce the
can get, and wait until tn
farmers are in need of the same agar
Thus they resell to the very farmers a
per cent ranging all the way from
per cent. to 400 per cent.-a far create
amount than any planter can max
under the present system of farming
To illustrate just what l mean wi
say: If farmer can buy mule or
horse for $50 and does not do so, bl
buys 1t from the stable, which is tt
medium, for s126, to be paid in eigl
months, on this trade he pa.
100 per cent. If he can gro
pigs. and kill his own meat at p
cent, and does not do so, b
buys of merchants at per Ger
and pays the bill in nine months,
PAYS 400 per cent. on the purchas
Again, if he can raise bushel OF co
for 40 cents, and does not do so,
buys of the merchant for S1.25 P
bushel, and pays the bill in thr
months from time of credit, he pa
500 per cent. on this bargain. Let
see how this interest compares with
interest of business pursuits, such
bankers, merchants, spectators, e
In commercial circles interest rane
from per cent on bonds up to z |
cent. and 8 per cent, and &c
commercial paper 10 per Ger
and on certain kinds of los
Is per cent. on a dollar. Tn
rates are considered ruinous to such
business, but they do not at all &C
mare with the interest of the farme
And until the farmers are able to {
criminate between these interests Il
shall ever remain behind. There is
reason in the wide world for one SCI
men to borrow money at Is per &C
and another set pay 500 per cent.
dollar. This is enough to cause nj
failure to silver miners of Nevada, W
the advantage of free coinage, M
less the farmers.
Depression is felt everywhere on
count of the manner of farming;
as farmers, we need never hope to
these conditions changed so long as
price of cotton is below the cost OF
duction, and our smokehouses and c.
cribs are in the far west.
We should reduce our numbe
acres and cultivate that which is pl
farfiliza1 n