The Progress., 1894-02-24

the l2ns drought We had the past
Summer, and il it has ever flickered"
for day | lave failed to Sec it.
Then, be,t Of all, once planted, it is
good for years no breaking up land
and p}anting seed and working it
every year -nothi5g to do but slt it
aud cure it and pnt it away. 1t is
also abon. the easiest hay to cure that
can b" grown. Then, if you conclude
yon want to put the land in some
rhiug else, just have an overflow
again, or pIow it up, and its out OF
yonr way, and the land is lets licher
than when it vas piAuted. From an
experience of one year | believe an
acre Of it, after the first year, will
make six tons Of hay, or pasture Is
grown hogs II months in tho year
and it is said to be q perfect feed for
H0gs Now is your land too valuable
to spare a few acres OfIt from cotton
10 try in alfalfa! | wo} | i rath "
have acres enough in alfalfa to raise
Cur own hay Oh, than four times IS
many acres i'll cotton. / have heard
i sad that we caa>t sell hay in this
market, people won't buy ito | don't
believe that: and | do believe that
when th'se is such demand for an
article that it ought to bG2raisel at
home. When we know that the ralce
Of tbs hay crop of the world far ex
ceeds that Of any other staple not
excepting cotton, the curse Of our
Southland today, aDd the most
depotic tlrnt that eve ruled his
votaiies with hypnotic power--and
that we can raise as fine hay, and as
much Of it per acre as can be raised
most anywhere, how can We look our
future i'll the face, and deludfNonr-
selves with the thought that it is
cheaper to buy it than to raise it?
GOf course we can all read what the
agricultural papers have to say Oh
theseNuhjects, but for one far prefer
to follow the experience Of some one
| know, and the character Of whose
lands | know.
| believe The time has come wheI
the man with to 5000 acres o.
rich, alluviaI. finest in the worlC
cotton lands of Ksd river, must d
yerslfy his crops just as his brother
on the poor hill lands has been forced
20 do. He has cote to raise his owl
com and meat and hay, and mule;
and ct least part Of his meat, ant
the sooner he gets at it the better fo1
him and his rich Red river planters
Rich Red rivor lands! Both 6,
myths that have faded away whel
confronted by the stern realities 0
seven cent cotton and a couple O
overt1ows; aud just as sure as fate or
present one crop system will land n
fiat Of our backs, and force that Gro,
to pay its own way, and buy all th,
other products used On the plauta
ton. It's all very we'll for some o
the gray-haired veterans, who hav
fought under tbs flag of King Get
ton, and have shared the fortunes Q
war with him, as his price has steadil,
declined from 80 to cents De-
pound, and who still hope that h,
will rally and reassert his power
"some o these days" 1T, all yer,
good, say, for them to think it pre-
snmptuous for any one to try to tel
them what to do but. it's hard t,
teach an cd dog new tricks" is sill
true and applicable.
Do you know | am sometimes in
ciined to think it's )az;ne,s that is a
the bottom Of this aversion of diver
styling crops? do; aud I'll tell ,or
why. The average planter has hi.
overseer, and when crop of cotton is
to be picked, any Is year old negro
knows as we'll as the owner or over
seer the routione of work that is to b.
gone through with bed up The lauG
most any way, put the seed on the
ground. and trust to the rains t,
cover them; bar off, chop ont, dirt
burst out the middles if convenient
If not, dirt 2 or times more, and
hoe it once or twice, according tic
whether the overseer has been watch.
ful and stopped Mr.. Nig's grub week
or two to put him on his mettle