The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-04-30

stock upon them, instead of being an item
OF expense, might, in most cases, with
proper management, be a source of profit
IL IS quite common mistake to suppose
that grasses viii not flourish upon good
cotton land. True the clover and herds
grass OF the northern and middle states
VIII not flourish in a climate suited TO the
natural growth of cotton. but there are
olher grasses TO be substituted, such as
the kentucky blue grass, which will
grow on any good soil and will flourish
under such as are rich in lime; wild oaJ
grass, the orchard grass and Bermuda
grass, which furnish excellent and abun-
dant pasturage upon great proportion
OF the exhausted cobton lands.
That sheep, cattle horses, and mules
can be probably raised at the south has
been abundantly shown by the vast num-
Der that are now produCeI and is far be-
yond any experimental stage. In fact it
Is claimed with every reason, thai wool
can be grown more prohJably in the south
than in any other section of our country
But we hear it continually cried out and
duly carried into execution that the duty
OF the cotton planter is to kill grass in
stead of raising it, that cotton and stock
cannot be probably produced upon the
same plantation at the same time, that it
Is more protita bic TO wear out the land and
so IN search OF virgin soil, May not the cor
rectness OF these sayings well be ques
tlonedE They can, to a certain extent.
AT the rate of the old plantations being
turned out for nature to restore lost fer
Utility, VIC fear that the virgin soil now be-
ing frequently resorted to will also play
out. 1t is only matter of time, if this
system is continued when the south will
be more like an African desert, instead of
hills and. valleys being covered with
or~f
one head Of stock YOU should keep ten.
Again, why should not the planter con
duct his business upon the same plan or
system OF the merchant or manufacturers
What business Of any extent would pay
anyone to do for them or produce for
them what they can themselves produce
more cheaply and conveniently! Yet the
planter or farmer finds that he cannot
produce his own COWS and hogs,
chickens, vegetables and many other pro
ducts of farm and garden, and must buy
them from Tom, Dick and Harry, not
stopping to think one moment that those
same people produce these supplies at
profit to them, which you paid in addi-
ton to the middle mans profit and freight
charges added. We submit a rule that
will he Of estimable value to every farmer
and planter in the south: Never buy
from abroad what you can produce at
home" This rule stRictly followed will
keep your silver dollars in circulation at
home. and in many cases, or perhaps
thousands of cases will cause some of
them TO remain in savings bank depos-
tied TO your credit. This is no overdrawn
picture, but facts that bear of no contra
dictiOn.
The growers of mixed husbandry, to-
bacco, hemp, wheat and corn, etc, have
all found it profitable to connect stock
raising with these staples, and we are
confident the opinion is gaining ground
among intelligent cotton planters that it
would be to their advantage to pay more
attention TO the improvement of the soil
by stock-growing, thus increasing the
amount of cotton grown per acre, which
means upon the intensive system of farm
ing, a leSsening of the cost per pound to
produce it. Most kinds of stock could
be grown at a. very cheap rate upon
great portion of the rolling cotton lands
which have become exhausted and are
now of little value.
The large sums now paid by the planter
to other states for mules to work his
crops, corn to feed his mules and bacon or
hog meat to feed his hands, would be
saved, and while getting these at a
cheaper rate, or about one-half of the
market price, he will be reaping from
such course a still greater advantage in
the greatly increased value of his lands.
We do not, for a moment, suppose that
single acre Of rich land, such as lies along
the river valleys, is to be devoted to stock
growing or pasturage for same, so long as
their fertility remains unimpaired.
But by a change or rotation of crops
these rich lands can greatly be en-
riched or less danger of becoming i'm
poverished BY mixed husbandry,
which will include the keeping of stock,
and this we firmly believe would be the
system for the improvement of the worn
out soils. The constant drain of fertility
carried off annually by cotton, and this
regularly from year to year, with an oc-
casional rest, is sufficient to ruin the best
farming land in any country or climate,
but more especially warm one. These
soils are deficient, especially in nitrogen,
and all naked soils, when continually ex-
posed in a warm climate, will lose the
greater portion of this important element
of soil fertility. We trust these few re-
marks are OF grave importance and
worthy the careful consideration of every
agriculturist at the south.