The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1896-01-02
GIVE THE CROPS A CHANCE

The following article from the South.
ern Planter will apply to Georgia as
well as to Virginia:
There has been and is too much Slip
shod farming and reliance solely upon
the unaided efforts Of kind Provi-
dence. God helps those who help
themselves. Too many of our farmers
will not do what our correspondent
pleads forgive the crops a chance
by doing their part. Instead Of giving
thorough tillage," they just skim the
surface of the land with little 1-horse
pillow, year after year, and leave un.
touched the stores of fertility in the
subsoil. If they give any help whatever
in the shape of fertilizer of any kind, it
is usually in the form of 100 or 200
pounds to the acre of some commercial
fertilizer whose adaptability to the needs
of their particular soil is absolutely I'M
ascertained and problematical, and !pass
by the Crimson clover, COW peas and
SOFA BEANS" which would give them the
crop producing nitrogen and humus
which their lands stand in need of, and
which can be had with these crops at
merely the cost of the seeds and the la
Dor of sowing them. The great ma
jority Of Southern farmers never read
or study the agricultural journals or the
books written by scientific, successful,
practical farmers, but from year to year
go on in the old ruts of ignorance and
failure, and then curse their luck and
want of success. No other trade or
business could or would succeed under
such management, and farming cannot
do So We wish that we could induce
our farmers to take an example from the
little country of Denmark, in the north
of Europe.
This country is only about one third
the size of Virginia, and has GOLD, un.
congenial climate compared with that
of this state, and yet the Danes are SO
energetic and wideawake to the neces-
sites of the times that within the past
few years they have built up a butter
and bacon trade with England that ri.
walls that Of this country. In 4,918
Denmark alone sent England 123,479,-
2l7 pounds of butter, whilst all the rest
Of the world only sent to England
165, 030, $40 pounds. In addition to this,
she now supplies one-ffth of the bacon
imported by England, nor to mention
more than 100000 hogs per year also
sent there, and, next to the United
States, is the largest exporter Of bacon
In the world. Her export of cattle is
over 100000 head per year, and she
sends to England alone over 100, 900, 900
eggs per year. And all this great bust
ness is done by population only about
one third larger than that Of Virginia.
The secret Of all this prosperity is to be
found in the fact that the Danes are an
industrious, well educated, reading peo-
pie.
They have the largest proportional
circulation Of newspapers and journals
Of any country in the world, and are
quick TO seize upon and put into prac-
tice every new means of making their
lands more profitable and productive
The refult is, that there are practically
AO pOOr pcOple Ill OeuuIdIA. Wudb d
lesion is here conveyed US. Can we not
profit by it? Is it too much that we
should ask the farmers Of the south TO
heed this lesson and from this time to
determine that they will read, and learn
to farm scientifically. and not by 'rule
Of thumb?' Now is the time to begin
In preparing for the crops of another
year, let your fall blowing be blowing,
not skimming. Stir up some Of that
fertility which is certainly stored in the
subsoil. Expose it to the air and frost.
This will fit it to become food for your
crops Cultivate thoroughly. Tillage
is fertilizer in another form. Sow some
Crimson clovcr-"Give the crops a
chance"