The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1895-05-16
A NEW CROP.
How the Young Faamer Got ou. 0
The Rut.
Youths Companion.

Youths Companion.
A young farmer in the Southwest
having come into possession of small
plantation through the death Of his ia
Tier. determined to introduce some rad
ical changes. The farm had not been
profitable for several years. His father
had borrowed money of merchants and
put every acre into cotton, buying his
food supplies and running every year
more deeply into debt. The son was
anxious, as he said, ''to get out of the
rut"
He decided to abandon cotton-plant-
ing, and to raise strawberries and other
fruit on large scale, and, so far as pos
sible, to make living from his farm
by producing his own food supplies
He began with a few acres OF strawber-
ries, and put the remainder of his land
in corn, oats, grass, potatoes and vege-
tables, increasing his supply of poultry
and pork.
All his neighbors demonstrated with
him. A Southern planter, they said
who did not raise cotton, but devoted
his energies to small fruit ard "truck-
ing" would be of no account socially,
while inviting financial ruin, The
young farmer was warned that in
breaking the customs and traditions OF
the cotton belt he was lowering his dig
nifty and degrading himself to the level
of "the poor white trash"
One critic was even more outspoken.
He was the father of the young woman
whom the young farmer had been
courting, and who was engaged to him.
''You'r re acting like lunatic !" growl-
ed this veteran. 'What can you do
without cash crop like cotton9 Where
can you find a market for your straw
berries? You are as mad as March
hare y
"The finest varieties of berries will
grow here to perfection. / can make
arrangements to send them by rail
north, where I shall be ahead of the
season. and also south for the latest va
rieties when the home crop is exhaust
ed. As for cotton, it is impoverishing
the planters here, as you we'll know.
Why should l raise cotton without
profit for the sake of what you call So
cial prestige?'
well, sir" was the angry reply, cit
YOU are bent upon going on with your
crazv schemes, you shall not drag down
nv daughter with you. She is a cot
ton planters daughter, and shall not be
truck-farmer's wife"
As the daughter sided with the faith
er. the engag cement was broken off. The
Young man. undismayed by the disap-
proval of his neighJors, carried out his
plans with resolute determination. The
experiment was successful.
He was obliged to be patient as we'll
as determined, and the result was that
he was soon obliged to double his straw
berry acreage. He then introduced
raspberries as a crop to follow the straw
berries. The result has been that he
found his profits warranted the purchase
of another farm, and the enlargement
of his fruit business.
Meanwhile the planters around him
we're many of them impoverished by
the low prices tor cotton. The veteran
who had called him lunatic was re-
duced to such straits that one or two OF
his children went into the fruit-farm-
er's fields to pick Strawberries in their
season for the wages they might receive
Every one now Is convinced that there
was method in the young planters mad
ness.
Free Pills.