The Louisiana populist. [volume] (Natchitoches, Natchitoches Parish, La.) 1894-1898, 1895-01-11
Editor Claiborne Guar dian:

J
Dear Sir:-In view of the wide
spread restitution in our midst, is
it not wise to pause and inquire
the cause, as there is no effect with
out causel There has been SO
much written and published in ref
erence to the right mode of farm
ing, and so little heed taken by our
people, it seems useless to say
more; but in thinking of the con-
dition of our whole Southern coun-
try, "a land where want ought not
to be known, and would not if our
agriculturists would put common
sense into practice, for it is fact
admitted by all that it is not best
to neglect grain and forage crops
in order to produce more cotton;
but, admitted as this is, it is also q
fact that great majority of our
farmers do iO, l am constrained to
give my views as to the proper
mode to farm. Having tried my
plan for the last twenty-eight years
and have not wanted for any of the
necessities of life, and having seen
so many farmers in that time who
have gone to the wall that followed
a different plan. l am established
in the opinion that our country
connot be prosperous if the farmers
neglect to raise provisions sufic-
lent at least to run their own farms.
1t is common, too common, for
farmers to expect every year to be
favorable in all respects for grow
ing a crop. They make but few
calculations for q failure, but the
reverse. They all expect to make
big crop of cotton, get q big
price for it, and as long as they
have credit, make big account to
be paid when the crop is gathered
and sold. These are not safe calcu-
lations. As long back as we have
any history to inform us, there
have been drouth, cankerworm :,
mildew, locust, caterpillar, rain
and hail storms to blight and des-
troy the labor of the husbandman,
and our own observation teaches us
(if we would but heed it, that there
are many causes in these latter days
to lesson the price of the fruits of
our toll.
My plan, Mr. Editor is this: l
plant grain sufficient each year, SO
that if l only make a half crop /
have plenty; then l plant as much
cotton as l can cultivate and gath
er, not neglecting my grain to do
it. The gleanings of my grain
fields and peas raised on my corn
land with but little work. insures
my smoke house to be full of home
made bacon, and at the end of each
year there is sufficient on the place
to make another crop, which has
cost me less than the freight my
neighbor pays on the supplies he
buys to run his farm in cotton, and
the cotton make does not belong
to merchant the minute it is gin
ned and baled as his does, And
another thing don't do as he (my
cotton neighbor) does, that is hunt
out the poor spots on my farm and
SOW them in oats or cultivate in
corn. There is no crop grown in
this parish that pays better Tor the
labor expended than does wheat
and oats, consequently 1 put them
on as good land as I have, and
have never made a failure of either.
And there is another thing 1 could
never find time to do in making a
crop OF gathering it, that is to 60
on those hunting and fishing expe-
ditions so common in our parish.
One to succeed in farming must
start right, then he must either
hold the pillow or drive.
The time has been, Mr.. Editor,
when a man that was able could
4 IL