The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1895-07-27
FARMER AND PLANTER.
AN IMPORTANT QUESTION.

sShall tho South Abandon tho Culture OF
Remunerative?'
No question is more important than
this. To the south, the proper an
swer involves every interest. The
culture of cotton has been for many
years the principal industry of this
section.
Upon it was based not only the sue
cess Or failure of the farmer, but, In a
large measure, our entire financial pol
icy. Merchandise, banking and trans
Portation were largely modified by this
crop.
THE MONEY INVOLVED,
The lint sold, the seed products and
the manufactured goods, annually
brought into circulation among II.
over four hundred millions of dollars
This gave life to every artery of trade.
This OF itself was a circula ting lnedi-
um OF nearly Or quite twenty dollars
per capitol added every year.
WE CAN NOT ABANDON 1T.
1t would seem evident to the most
cnsuaI thinker that the abandonment
OF such a money producing crop would
para1yizc every branch of industry in
the land.
The Immediate effect would be q
general cutting down Of values. Every
acre of farm land would be worth less.
Every species of real estate would de-
Preclate. Merchants would have to
give up their merchandise, and the
railroads would run empty trains.
Lawyers would be without clients.
Schools would rapidly fall into decay,
and a general collapse, if not universal
bankruptcy, would ensuc.
PHOvIDENTIAL CAUSES.
We have the climate, the soil and
the labor to grow cotton, to a greater
advantage than any other portion of
the globe can produce a similar grade.
1t would not be wise to fail to utilize
all these.
TIE CONSEQUENCES.
If we a ba ndon the culture of cotton
we have i'll our midst u vast contingent
OF unemployed labor, idle, shiftless and
homeless. The negro does not know
how to support himself in any other
branch Of agriculture.
we must plant all the lands now
used IN growing cotton in some kind
OF food producing crops. This would
soon gl"t the market with all that line
or produce. 1t would ruin the north
west cut off the largest source of in
come to the railroads, break all the
commission men and provision dealers.
reduce the price of provisions of all
sorts SO low that it would be a losing
business to grow them, and the farmer
would be in a worse condition than
now, with cotton at five cents.
WHAT SHALL WE DO THEN?
ihere IS much better way out of
his trouble. We can cheaper the pro-
duction OF cotton by GROWING all orr
home supplies upon the farm. Then.
pant smaller areas in cotton, and
manure and cultivate better, SO as to
increase the yield per acre. Make no
accounts, pay as you go, SO that the
COTTON when grown will belong to the
grower. Quit forcing the entire crop
upon the market in three months.
Twelve months. only selling as the fac
'"rles need it for consumption; this |
VII greatly i'm prove the price.
we gin cotton because it Drinrs 8, |
higher price in lint and is easier han
He'd; for the same reasons, let us spin |
he cotton and sell thread and cloth. |
Int cotton is worth three times as |
'hree times as much as lint. Cloth, or
woven cotton. about three times as
nuch as thread, or sig times as much
is lint
The increased value of one or two
'r"ps Will pay for all the machinery
necessary for the manufacture of tho
'ntlre crop. A little concert of action
VII ena BILE us to regulate this matter
We can inaugurate this movement
EASIER than we can give up the cul-
ure OF cotton and adapt ourselves to
new system of farming and new
ct OF crops and hunt up new markets.
We only need a little more common
ense economy.
RECAPITrI.ATIOS
l. Grow crops that belong to us.
nd thus cheaper the cost of produce
ion.
9. Sell only as consump tion de-
landS.
3. Manufa cture all or nearly all the
rop here in the south.
4. Inaugnrate these reforms by
economy and concert of action.
>. Thus the cotton crop will bring
s annually S100OOO.OoO.
The above is not intended to be ex-
auSt1ve, but only suggestive. The
Ranges suggested viii not come about
themselves without thought and
ction. Neither will any other adj
lstment Of our present dccp-seated
rOubleS.
Above all things, our farmers must
ettcr educate themselves, so as to
now how to be independent of trick
Lers. We can not change the habits I
lifetime ia a day, but we can be- ,
in and press on in the right way, and
improve as we Eo.-Jas. Il. Eunnicutt
l Southern C,,ltivator.