The Monticellonian., 1894-10-26
Diversified Agriculture.
By J NJ. IIUGHEs.

 Mr Chairman. Ladies and Gentlencr:
 The subject on upon which we are 10 address you is a very f.4mil- lar one-one thal we have been enthused with for many years and one that deserves far 4.are eonsid- eration at our hands as farmers than il usually receives. ItIs Di- yersifed griculturc
 Mr. Chairman, we beg leave to insert just here, ere we en.cr into the discussion ot the subject. knowing as We dc the issue that lies urpermost in the minds of most farmers. namely, the fnan- cial question, while we frankly ad- init that we cannot solve the ques- tion nor do we intend 10 try. It IS widely asserted and very gen orally believed that the demouiti- zatlon of silver has caused all the oppression that exists among us. We are in sympathy with the idea and bei5eve 10 some extent in the assertion. Me believe the shrinhage ill the value of farm property and products, and the increased value of money, can to 4 very great measure he traced to Iit.
 But, Nr. Chairman, we believe If the silver mines of tho world were thrown open to free and un- limited coinage, il would not give ta the Southern farmer what they want, namely a high price for cot- ton and low price for every thing else they have to buy. We 10 not wlsh to discuss this subject, nor shall we attempt it. We only desire b place oufseli sqnyreIy be fore the people on this aIl-absorb- ing issue, inasmuch as We sha at- tempt to show betore we close that atieast | part of our oppres. sion is due 10 the lack of proper diversity. Me are strong silver i
 advocate, and equally IS strong a believer in the final restoration of the white metal to its place beside that of gold; yet We arc very slow indeed to believe that there could be any financial measure enacted that Woald rebound to he upbuid- ing of tbe Southern farmers. so teHg as they exert all tteIr iaboc tfme, means aai taten id producing Il staple, namely, cotton, tar ia ex. cess, ofthe worlds actual com mercial demand. Wo do not wish 10 be understood as that there Is not enough nnclad, and partly clad people fn the world 10 con same the worlds yearly produe- ton of cotton. for we vcrily be- lieve if the amount ot two such crops as we have on hand ut pre- sent were made into cIuth and dis tributed to the needy on earth, it would not be in excess of the de- maad. Our position is, that we are raising more eotton=tban the world is actualIy J consuming, and this is the basis on which the farmers of the South should pitch their cotton crop. Mir. Chairman, We hope you will pardon this di- sression, for we ~ish to be under stood in the outset.
 Now, to the su5iect-in order that our argument may be more conclusive, We wish first to notice the extensive and careless meth ods of our farming. It is fact, and no one will dare deny that we have been raising cotton. year at- ter } ear, largely to the exclusion tother crops, to redeem ourselvs from debt and get on safe foot- ing aud be Independent, for with outit there cannot be any lasting prosperity, or real true happiness among any class CT profession of people. How have we succeeded. my fellow farmcrsz Me thinks. We hear the echoes coming from the bosom of every tiller of the soil: Ne have tailed, We have failed, because we have not extracted ourselves from the clutches of debt Whenever cotton would bring d high price we would come out in the wiadup, att he end of the year d little ahead of eur