The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1895-12-19
AGRICULTURAL DEPARTMENT,

each farm abundant home supplies for
family labors and stock, could have no
| stronger illustration than the present
| condition of the cotton market. The
crop is exceptionally short and all pro-
duct and all expectation would point to
stiff prices, Notwithstanding which the
J market is wavering and at times pan
icky. The farmer, who has provision
and other bills awaiting payment and
wishes to settle mis- debts and begin the
New Year with all old scores wiped out,
is compelled to let his hard earned cot
ton go, no matter what the condition
| of the market. Judgment and calcula-
| ton can have no part in his plans for
disposing of his crop. When the cred
| ltor presses, the payment must come,
and thus he is at the mercy of specula-
tors and combinations, when it is his
privilege and should be his aim to be
practically independent of both. Com
paratlvely speaking the per cent of
farmers, who find themselves in this
hampered condition is.small Until the
past few years the self sustaining farms
were the exceptions, but today the ma
jority of Georgia farmers have we'll
filled barns and store houses and cattle
and porkers fattening for the slaughter.
During the past few weeks | have con-
versed with farmers from the various
sections of the state, and the almost
universal testimony is that blessing
has descended on "basket and store. !"
But strange to relate, although their
present Satisfaction is due to their con-
servative policy on this home supply
question, note symptoms of contem-
| plated lapse into the old and oft proven
mistake Of an immense area in cotton
and a necessary curtailment of the acre
age, devotad to home supplies. From
| the post Of observation, which my off
| clal position affords me, | can see more
| plainly perhaps than the man, whose
| vision is bounded by the limits Of his
own farm, the utter folly and suicidal
effect of such policy. We would have
no words strong enough to condemn
the man, who, after being nursed back
to haalth and strength, should deliber-
ately plunge knife into his heart and
let out the life blood And yet that
is just the agricultural suicide which
some Georgia farmers are today con-
templating. Our cotton crop is the big
artery of our system of trade and COM
merce-kept in healthy condition, it's
influence is sent throbbing through
| every every avenue of business-it gives
life to every smaller industry; all draw
| sustenance from its strong pulsations
| But to perform these important func-
lions it requires to be supported by the
| subsidiary system of home industries,
| and home supplies. Withdraw these
and our whole agricultural system col
J lapse. Would that l could find words
strong enough to bring this fact fully
to the comprehension of every farmer
in the state: At the risk of being con-
| sidered tiresome, I would again urge
that each man i'll planning for another
| year, consider first this question of
home supplies. Lay off ample space for
! every food crop, and then crowd in all
| the cotton which can be thoroughly
| prepared for and cultivated 1t is con-
coded that reduced cost of production
is the lever on which the profitable
making of cotton depends, while the
farmer can exercise very little direct
influence on the market, the control of
the cost of production is Immediately
III his power. If he can by well con-
sldered plans of preparation fertiliza-
tlon and cultivation, the use of labor
saving machinery and careful economy
In all smaller details, produce more cot
ton on smaller area, at less cost, he
has mastered the secret of success-and
he comes out victor. Otherwise, that
is If the cost of production comes near
the selling price, the farmer has simply
spent his time and labor and money to
furnish employment to the horde of
cotton buyers, brokers', warehouse and
commission men, railroads and manu-
facturers, who fatten on the ''pick-
lngs," which they get from his hard
earned bales, while he settles his fer
tilizer and other bills and carries his
empty wagon home, ga sadder, if not
| a wiser man"
would also suggest to those farmers
| who are considering the ACCESSIBILITY of
| planting largely i'll cotton another year,
| that the unsettled condition of foreign
powers may precipitate a European
war at any time, which would deal
very severe blow to our cotton industry,
in the event Of foreign war, food
stuffs would rise rapidly, and to the
man, who had injudiciously curtailed
his provision crops in order to raise
cotton, the disaster would fall with
double force, his cotton would be almost
worthless, and the provisions, which he
would be compelled to buy, would cost
him perhaps double and treble their
original value.
| DECEMBER
is the month for rounding up the farm
work OF the year 1t is practically not
a full working month on account of the
Christmas holidays which intervene.
But, while every honest working man
is entitled to enjoy, as far as possible,
the good cheer which that season usu.
ally brings, we cannot afford to devote
the whole month to festivity and thus
entirely relax the steady discipline
which should characterize the manage.
ment Of every farm.
| PROTECTION FOR STOCK.
If provision has not already been
made for the protection and comfort of
stock, this should not be longer neg
lected, that the severe "cold snaps"
which we usually have in January aud
| February may not find them at the
mercy of the weather
REPAIRS ON TOOLS AND IMPLEMENTS.