The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-05-10
oNE-HoRSE COTTON FARMS
NJ SLAVES NOW THE TEN
ANTI, 8OMETIMES THE OWNERS.
The auik ofCotion Comes from 1" on--hor-o
Farms"-The Thrifty Mns Works Up to
.Two.hor-e Farm. rhea OwHs HIs own
Piace-Northern settlers In -. Georgia.

.Two-hor-e Farm. T,ea OsHs His ONI
riace-Northern settlers In -, Georgia
QUiTMAH, Ga. May IA oneIhorse farm
IL not a slang phrase In this part Of the world
but an actual statement Of fact. A large pro
portion OF the cotton that supplies tho mill
OF old and New England Is raised on one. hors
farms. The phrase means III this region
farm small enough to bo worked successful,
with one horse. Tho horse is generally
mule, but that makes no difference. Natural
ly a one-horsc farm Is the smallest that cnl
be cultivated, but from that the scale rIse
to two horses, four, six, ten, or sometimes
hundred. Where there are ten horses oil
more, however. tho place Is no longer n farm
but takes on the dignity of a plantation.
Il amt wukkin' that one horse farm M
mo- an energetic colored man tells yot
when you ask him. rive took II two-hos,
farm this year"
He has no notion that the words convey 4
the Northern mind an idea Of q place of very
little account. He states n sober fact. md
prides himself upon working up In the world,
Many of the large land owners prefer 10 lei
their fields out In small tracts to men who will
cultivate them well. taking 40 many bales OF
pounds of cottoh for the rent. But the ten.
ant under this arrangement seldom takes
moro than a two-horse farm. because when he
arrives at-that stage he is soon able to buy
land OF his own. Some OF the neatest and
most comfortable farms in Brooks county arc
owned by prosperous men who began by rent
ing 'one.horso farms and gradually accumu-
lated enough money to become land owners
themselves. TIL farm hand of the North,
who seldom secs more than bread and beef In
the future. but who knows how 10 swing an
axe and hold a plough, would soon blossom
into an independent farmer under this system.
TIta tnnfhn1 nf farrta- ,,,- E. A.
largo number OF cabins that line the roads.
The big plantations have villages of cabins
near the main house, and the most obtuse
stranger sees at once what they are for; but at
every turn In the road, by the edges of streams,
out in the open fields. often a mile or moro
away from the nearest house, are the small
cabins built for colored families; and the
stranger wonders at first why they exist.
These are for small tenants" Judge Till
man explains. Every small cabin at a dis
lance from the big house is the headquarters
OF q one-horse farm. The larger ones repre-.
sent two-horse farms. When you see one on
a big plantation it is alW ays tho property Of
the plantation owner, for he would not he
likely to sell a small block out of one OF his big
fields"
The planter who let's his land out in small
holdings has to be prepared for tenants who
are burdened with very little property. Not
only must he build houses for them. but he
must have wood lots to supply them with fuel,
and pasture lots for their animals. All these
things go with the land. TIT tenant supplies
a mule and a plough and whatever household
goods his pride and comfort demand.
1t speaks we'll for the Georgia darkies, the
one-horse farmers who are independent OF any
boss, who can lie in the shade K they choose
without any one to stir them up. that they are
5000. 30 11 fo,-l ,1o.t ,N.i, nl>I,, L., 1911.
ing seasons. They are out in the fields plough
ing or hoeing. and it is only the wife and the
brood of pickaninnies who are Mt home.
How many acres does 1t take to make a
one-horse farm ~ the Judge Is asked.
"Thirty-six or thirty-scyen,' he answered.
THAT Is about the quantity Of land that one
man and one horse Gun work proftably. The
man, of course, includes the services OF his wife
at sowing and picking time. and OF any OF the
children. male or female, who are large enough
to handle a hoe"
For his thirty six acres of land the tenant
agrees to pay from 500 % l.2jO pounds OF
cotton for rent. according to the character of
the land and the bargain he can make. He is
bound to pay the rent If he raises any cotton
at all. for the landlords claim is superior to
all other claims, even to a mortgage; and the
law makes 1t a criminal offence for any per-
son TO remove any part of the cotton from the
premises till the rent has been paid. This law
both landlord and tenant. as II pre-
vents schemers from inducing ignorant and
improvident tenants to mortgage their crops.
With this protection for the negroes and the
observation-disclosures of the whites. q mortgaged
crop is almost an unheard-of thing in Brooks
county.
THE one-horse farmer does not plant all
his land in cotton, for he must feed his family.
i N ,rny In IN yn,,- ~ ;.,art- .-1 ,-,r, g,on
he Is: but he has been a family man long
enough to have a laughing black brood. Some
how. all the plantation children seem to be a
shiny black, no matter how light-colored their
parents may be. Possibly the sun and rains
bleach them somewhat az they grow older. If
there are only six or eight mouths to feed
at planting time. that Is no sign that there
not be a short dozen by Christmas. Some
Of the cabin yards look as II pickaninnies
grew on the dogwood trees, with a great crop
or three times a year. So the farmer
plants about twenty five of his acres in cotton, |
and on the remainder he raises corn and po-
tatoes, not forgetting to save a corner some
where for sugar cane. He has a garden back
II the house, cultivated by the wife and chill.
lren. that not only supplies vegetables for
he kitchen throughout almost the entire year,
but iul nishes enough surplus to take to town
md sell occasionally, and the garden money
Duys the bright cheap dresses the wife aud
children wear.
In the older-settled parts of the State the
,ne-horse farmers often were slaves Oh tho
,ame plantations where now they are tenants.
But here in newer Brooks county the chances
'or advancement are greater, and the old fei-
ows generally have little places Of their own.
Is young men who are the one horse farmers, |
md they work their wey upward very rapidly
md other young men take their places,
The young COlOred man with ambition to
make something OF himself in this section
las one great advantage over other ambitious
ioung men: give him health and a little com
non sense, and his success is certain. 1t
rould not be considered u very brilliant sue
'ess from the city standpoint, but II insures
llenty and comfort for himself and his fam
Is. lie begins usually by working on one Of
he plantations for $40 or Sl2 a month and
Iis board and medical attendance and every.
else he needs but a few clothes, and as
lis expenses are nothing II does not take him
ong 10 save the $500 that is considered the
Necessary capita. for taking II one-horse farm.
For 500 ho can buy II mule and the rew in
lispensable farm tools, and $50 worth OF fer
ill2er tor his twenty-five acres of cotton will
hin. q crop, though he will be better OF
I the end of the year II he can afford to buy
100 worth. The crop is sure. the household
expenses are practically nothing, and at tle
- - al. GO .a - u A..1I - lhAA Al