The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-03-09
A NORTHERN FARMER IN TIE
SOUTH.

An Ohio man who spent thirty years In
has been farming three years in northern
Alabama, writes:
The farmers here seem to have but little
knowledge of diversified farming, and less
find one grated or budded fruit tree. They
are fifty years behind Ohio in agriculture,
schools and agricultural implements. l no.
tice vast tracts OF improved lands lying
idle. simply because 1t doesn't pay to raise
cotton, as they say. AS nearly / can
guess. two-thirds of the old plantations
are turned out to grow up to grass and
weeds Ever since the close of the war
these lands have lain Idle so long that
they have become as productive as when
new. i also notice that where Northern
farmers have settled on these old planta-
lions they are producing sixty bushels of
corn to the acre or thirty bushels OF wheat.
All this vast area Is for sale at from three
to ten dollars per acre. Our short, mild
winters require but little feed, a great
item in stock raising. Our summers ere
long, enabling the farmer to produce two
crops in one season on the same land
as have seen Il crop of potatoes and after
ward n crop OF corn.
This intelligent Northern farmer. going
to Alabama. discovers almost at a glance
points of superiority in the climate and de-
fects in the methods of farming to which
the natives there are blind Nature has
been very lavish in her gifts to the South
but they have been little appreciated. There
is great and inviting field there for
Northern immigration. and when once IT
becomes fixed in that direction the South
will enter on new era of development in
agriculture as it has already in manu-
featuring. The writer above quoted says.
further:
AS for the negro. he is industrious. gem
farmer who viii be honest with him. He
will work for very small wages and TO
the farmer who knows how to manage him
for social equality. and would not think
much of one who offered it.
Southern people have always claimed that
they understood the negroes better than
anybody else. and that they alone knew
how TO manage them. This claim does not
seem to be borne out by facts. Southern
whites pronounce the emancipated negroes
for social equality than for anything else.
The continual preaching OF this doctrine
and the alleged danger of negro suprem-
acy'' accounts in a large degree for the
solid South. But here comes a Northern
farmer who bears different testimony. He
was not born and brought up among ne
groes. nor nursed by an "old colored man.
N.Y." consequently. he cannot claim to I'M
derstand the negro character thoroughly,
or to know how to manage them better
than anybody else. He is simply a plain.
honest Northern farmer. who believes in
treating everybody right and in dealing
fairly and honestly with his hired hands.
He finds the negro industrious. gentle and
cheerful and n bonanza TO the farmer who
will be honest with him. He will work for
small wages. and when we'll treated is a
good worker. AS TO social equality. ''he
would not ask for IT," says the Northern
farmer. land would not think much OF one
who offered IT," In view OF these state
ments. IL might be well for Southern plant
ers to ask themselves If they really know
how TO manage the negroes better than
other people do. Perhaps, instead OF treat