The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1894-06-14
Farms, Farmers and Farming.
Charlotte Democrat.

Charlotte Democrat.
Farming is a business, and instead of
being simple one, as a great many
think, which any one may pick up in
a short time, it is one of the most intri-
cate business with which men have to
deal 1t is surrounded with endless and
obscure conditions, which even the
most patient Investigations cannot en-
tirely understand Farming, in this
section, is not now at as high a degree
of prosperity as it ought to be. We
have as fine climate as anywhere in
the world, fair soil, excellent timber,
good natural range for cattle and hogs.
pure water in abundance. and many
other things in our favor. Still land Is
low in value and very few farmers but
what are in financial straits; negroes,
as class, lazier and more improvldent
than ever farmer boys seeking employ
ment in towns and cities. What's the
matter? Hard tlmes," says one.
Many excuses are given. The war has
had its share of the blame, and other
reasons are given. Some are plausi.
| BILE, others are not, and still why not
measure up to the advantages given?
It's mainly the peoples fault. With all
the iovial dispositions, great attractions,
and pleasant qualities of the farmers,
they are generally speaking failure.
! These defects arise partly rom a want
Of proper education, ard thus he goes
on year in and year out, cultiyating
cotton and corn, because he does not
know any other way of making a
living true, this necessitates his being
one year behind, but this he accepts as
part OF the system. The lazy, worth
less negro rents the farmers land, works
his mules, and eats his bread and meat,
and when the end of the year and set
tling up time comes round the mules
are nearly dead they have only made
twenty bushels of corn and one-third of
bale Of cotton to an acre on land that
last year yielded thirty bushels, and a
bale to an acre and thus 1t goes on un-
til the yield is nothing What is the
cause of hard times we hear spoken of
everyday? This subject is usually
brought up by the very ones who have
caused such a decline in our country,
by idIing away their time. Lots Of
these same men and boys, who are cry
| y
stores, and spend their time playing
baseball or cards, which | would think
was just as hard work as plOwing or
hoeing. This is one reason our jails,
chaingangs and penitenlaries are full
to overfowing and it greatly helps to
make harder and harder the times
Why not 90 to work with renewed en-
ergies and teach the children to work :?
1t will be a blessing to them as
we'll as you 1t will protect them as
they grow up from the greatest evils
of the dav. Go to work to make good
lands where tiey are DOW poor, and
create blessing out OF that which ap-
pears to us a curse. QUIT going III debt
for ct!af.o and costly fertilizers and U.s.
more that YOU can make at home
which improves permanently your sol. j,
Quit irving to raise so much cotton,
and make more corn prepare your
lands letter, cultivate them better.
make more on less acreage. Bear In
mind that the farmers are trying TO
cultivate too much land divide your
large farms into smaller ones, and cui-
tiyate well. Let all take a greater in
terest in their lands, and improve them
bv degrees, and | think we will not
hear so much of hard times In the fu-
t,1re. NJ. 7. a.
Croft, n. c.