St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1896-02-29
FARMER AND PLANTER.


TO MAKE FARMING PAY.
A osa Cottoa Pl..ter Gives rev Pe.nts
n Hls Experience.
How to make farming pay next year
is matter of great importance to every
citizen Of Texas, for It has long since
been conceded that agriculture ID
tho foundation Of Ill wealth. That
government which fosters and protects
her agriculturists always increases the
prosperity of her citizenA And that
individual who can give the wisest
council in times Of uncertainty, like
present, may Be considered the greatest
benefactor. The writer does not rs
pire to become 80 great wisacre. But
perhaps it may be in his power to use
his pen in tracing dimly the lines that
may afterward be more plainly marked
out by some other more capable person,
which shall point ont the dangers that
confront us.
The old year is nearing its end, and
the new year of 1896 will be soon ush-
cred in upon rs. The old has surely
furnished us some practical data to
guide our footsteps for the incoming
new year, and ut the outset we believe
many will join m in stating that tho
lessons we have had presented for our
consideration during the past two
years are valuable only In proportion
rs we use and wisely appropriate them.
The first lesson taught MS il that cot
ton is no longer king. A nine and .
half million bale crop only brings four
cents, while six and a-half million
bales insureS seven and a-half cents,
the former is unrcmunerative and ru-
inous to the farmer, because be-
low cost of production, while the
latter is fairly remunerative. Two
and half billion American corn
crop in 1894 brought IN average
Of - cents in the Chicago market,
In our local markets 50 cents, while the
big corn crop Of 1895, estimated rough
" ut three to three and = half billion
bushels, only sells in our local markets
for Is to 1s1< cents So we see IL II
cents per bushel is about m average
price it costs . farmer to raise It In
Texas, then there Is little or no profit
for the surplus he sells. The same
conditions apply to our oet and hay
crops. 1t is true that our large oat
crop was this year 90 seriously dam
aged by m unusually wet season, that
it is hardly possible to make correct
estimate for the probable average price
it would have brought under more
favorable circumstances. The ques-
ton naturally arises, what course must
we pursue next year, which will insure
the best prices for our farm prod
ucts? Every farmer must see that
our safety is to be found only in plant
ing those crops that grow best with MS,
one-third Of the acreage in cotton, one
third in corn, and one-third in other
crops, such Is oats, hay. sorghum, etc.
With such staple products for our stiff,
black lands, little greater diversified
ton might be practiced profitably on
the sandy lands, like Denton, Wise and
other counties- Potatoes. melons and
goober peas might be extensively raised
In such sandy land districts. We must
not abandon the wise course we have
begun in raising more corn and sor-
ghum to raise and fatten more hogs,
that with deep water 1t
Galveston we have = shorter route to
the open markets Of the world,
the freight charges, and ut
the same time increasing the demand
for our surplus corn and hog products
According to = late estimate, there are
In Texas but 5000 renter farmers,
while there are 900 owning their
farms. Under such favorable condition
there is no real cause why the very
best plan may not be practiced more
generally on business principles. 1t
Is not only foolish, but suicidal, to rush
peu-mell into raising Ill cotton In 1895.
Such = course would insure three-cent
cotton, and ruin and starvation staring
as in the face, when under our present
regime plenty and abundance doth
abound. God has given Texas the most
fertile soil, and If wisely used will sure
" bring greater prosperity to her
people than any land in the habitable
Farm and Ranch.