The Progress., 1894-01-20

again, or plOw it mp, and its ont Of
your way, and the land is lots richer
than when it was planted From an
experience of one year l believe an
acre of If, after the first year, will
make 6 tons of hay, or pasture ID
grown hogs II months in the year
and it is said to be perfect feed for
hogs. Now is your land too valuable
to spare few acres of If from cotton
10 try in alfalfa? l would rather
have acres enough in alfalfa to raise
our own hay on, than four times as
many acres in cotton. have heard
il said that We can't sell hay in this
market, people won't buy it! 1 don't
believe that; and l do believe that
when there is such a demand for an
article that it ought to be raised at
home. When we know that the value
of the hay crop of the world far ex
ceeds that Of any other staple-nOt
excepting cotton, the curse of our
Southland to-day, and the most
/ de spotic tvrant mat ever ruled his
votarie7 With by pnotic power-and
that we can raise as fine hay, and 5
much OF it per acre as can be raised
most anywhere. how can we look our
future in the face, and delude our
selves with the thought that it is
cheaper to buy it than to raise it?
OF course we can all read what the
agricultural papers have to say on
these subjects, but | for one far prefer
to follow the experience of some ore
l know, and the character Of whose
lands | know.
l believe the time has come when
the man with l to 5000 acres of
rich. alluvial. finest in the world
cotton lands Of Red river, must di
versify his crops just as his brother
on the poor hill lands has been forced
to do. He has got to raise his own
corn and meat and hay, and mules
and at least a part of his meat and
the sooner he gets at it the better for
him and his rich Red rivec planters!
Rich Red river lands!! Both are
myths that have faded away when
confronted by the stern realities of
seven cent cotton and a couple of
overfows; and just as sure as fate our
present one-crop system will land us
fiat of our backs, and force that crop
to pay It's own way, and buy all the
other products used on the planta-
ton. It's all very well for some OF
the gray-haired veterans, who have
fought under the flag of King Cot
ton. and Rave shared the fortunes of
war with him, as his price has steadily
declined from 30 to Z cents per
pound, aud who still hope that he
will rally and reassert his powers
.'5omeso' these days,"-it's all very
good, say, for them to think it pre-
sumptuous for anyone to try to tell
! them what to do-but, ''it's hard to
! teach an old dog new tricks" is still:
true and applicable.
T Do you know, I'm sometimes in,
, clined to think it's laziness that is at
, the bottom of this aversion to diver
, styling crops! 1 do; and I'll tell you
why. The average planter has his
9 overseer, and when crop of cotton i:
I t. be pitched, any IL year old liggel
Kuows as we'll as the owner or over
seer the routine OF work that is to be
, gone through Withheld up the land
! most any way, put the seed on the
ground, and trust to the rains tC
: cover them; bar off, chop out, dirt
burst out the middles if convenient
9 if not, dirt or 3 times more, anC
hoe it once or twice, according t
. whether the overseer has been watci
: ful and stopped Mr.. Nig's grub weel
o or two to put him on his mettle
o Then, when she begins to pop open
. Mr.. Mig throws down his tools in tn
: field, and hies him away to town t.
q haul out pickers to gather the crop
r while he does nothing but eat all tn,
\ grub he can get and come out il
o debt at the end of the year And
q when picked, the cotton is put on To,
, ground or in baskets, just as conven
ience dictates, and eventually carried
: to the gins in dirty condition-th'
process of ginning :being expected t.
=, corrocf all mast ahusee Cotton i