The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1895-01-26
FARMER ANDPLANTER
TIMELY THOUGHTS.

13eIOTC developing JIG plans AOA
tho coming year, it is we'll to look back
and scan the mistalxcs of the past. Com
ceit often makes us attribute failures
to every other possible cause than our
own folly, ignorance or indolencc.
Everything is to blame but ourselves.
help us to make better crops. 1t keeps
us in the same old easy-goinE steps, in
the same old ruts. Each successive
year we repeat our mistakes, and lay !
the blame for failure on the weather or |
something else. What boon the |
weather is to the poor farmer. All his !
shortcomings arc hidden away in it.
One almost universal mistake is the |
cultivation of land too poor to pay any |
profit. On the rich lands of Arkansas,
Texas, Mississippi and Alabama, and
with the increased production from the
use of commercial fertilizers in the
older states thrown in, the average crop
of cotton does not exceed one bale to
three acres. Is it not perfectly clear
then that a very large quantity of the
poorer land planted in cotton must
make less than one-third of a bale to
the acre? But suppose the yield to be
one-third of a bale to the acre, is there
any money in it? The present season
a bale of cotton will not bring on
an average more than $25, which is
equivalent to s.3S gross per acre. Now
set over against that, interest on land,
IdNcS, COSL Ol preparation dAu SuAtAfa~
ton, including stock, implements,
smith bill, picking, ginning, bagging
and ties. hauling to market; and in
many cases storage, insurance. COM
missions for selling. etc. After de-
Quoting these, how much will be left?
Suppose you make eight bales to the
mule on say twcnty-four acres. The
wear and tear or annual depreciation of
a mule costing $50 is SIS; the interest
on his cost dollar more, say
SIG, which. divided by eight,
makes 50 n bale for horse
flesh, to say nothing of the cost of
feeding the horse. The picking of
bale of cotton will cost nearly $500.
the ginning 81 90, say $1,000 for wear
and tear of horse flesh in making, and
for picking and ginning one bale of
! cotton, for onc-third of a bale yield
of one acre. $3.50. Can you bring the
cost of preparation, planting, blowing
| and hoeing of an acre under $500?
Again we ask is there any money in
that? On most farms the whole cost of
! provision crops is properly charged bic
| to the cotton crop, also, because the
former bring direct income
| they arc consumed in king cotton;
and what is left to pay for your super
vision, your own worry and trouble,
! and the exhaustion of your land. We
| are perfectly satisfied that less than
! an average yield of IL half bale to the
|
! very moderate profit only.
Here it may be asked. have southern
farmers then been getting poorer, have
| they made no money raising only a
| third of IL bale to the acre. AS Il
| whole, we have no hesitation i'll say
ing that they have not made money.
Some have. These arc: First, those
having farms naturally rich and spe-
| cialy adapted to cotton, and who cult.
vate them with hired la Dor or with crop.
pers. Second, those having lands that
cost little, and have rented them for SC
| much cotton per acre. Third, the small
farmers who do their own work and
utilize the labor of their young chill
| dren. Those OF the first class, who arc
unusually good managers. and who
have been fortunate to secure good
laborers. have made some money. $50
lated cases may be found here and
there. The second class make good
profits whenever they watch their bust
ness closely, get tenants for whom
they do not have to make advances
or tenants SO industrious ant
thrifty as to be able to pay out
But their apparent profits are
| down of their lands-tenants rult
neither protecting land from washing
nor manuring it. The third class, b.,
utilizing the labor of their young chill
dren, get moderate compensation TO
! their own abOr, but make very Snlal
profits. The last, as IL class, have prob
ably done better than any other
Against the above three classes VIII,
! have made some clear money stand tn,
numerical majority, who either hav,
lost money merely paid out
Those who have lost money ar
r in debt. probab bly, their farm
mOrtgaged. Alas, how many O
,, these arc to be found. Others VIII
/ have paid out have lived poor. enjoy
ing few of the comforts, lcNcept TIL
. rudest. and none of the Injuries o
life. Our farmers. rule, worl
harder and live poorer than any othc
! class. And yet the cotton crop bring
} a large quantity of money into tn
! sou tn every year. Who gets the bene
fit of that? The farmer least of all
/ the merchant. the banker. the cotton
: factor; the railroads get the lion
share. Sec how tie cities have pros
8 pered and grown-how railroads hav
I been built. But to come back to on
8 mistakes.
! Next to the mistake of working la n
D too poor to pay profits, is that OF pur
I suing methods which tend to make on
, lands poorer every year. No soil. how
I ever rich it muy be naturally, will re
) tain ats fertility, if deprived of its hu
mus. Without humus it will refuse t.
yield up its plant food; it will run t.
/ gether and bake after rains; it can no
be gotten into state of fine till
Z | af.,ir