St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1896-04-11
FARMER AND PLANTER.
MAKING FARMING PAY.

4 Soother0 FofmAf Preoeato Hlo Views -
the Subject.
Cotton has been raised in the south
aimee the south first began to prosper,
and the south has been raised ON cot
ton, under the same sunshine, with the
same climate. soil and inhabitants: and
with cotton at price which ranged
lower than it has for the last ten years,
the south, from an almost nothing, be-
came probably the richest agricultural
country of the world. Then we be-
came poor; our conditions were changd
and we changed with them. We adopt
ed new mode of farming, and have
never recovered from our poverty.
Cotton is and must be the chief money
crop OF the south, to which we can add
many others.
The south can raise its own provi-
sions Of every kind, and $3.50, OOO, 900
OF cotton besides Then the southern
farmer would receive as much clear
income per capita rs the farmers of
any other country from their money
crop. 1t would never do for the south
to reduce its production of cotton to
any greater extent than will raise its
price beyond the cost Of production
and fair remuneration. The south
only raises 65 per cent. of the cotton
crop of the commercial world. Unless
tie south intends to permanently
abandon its culture, it would be bad
policy to raise the price above that
suggested, for it would induce other
countries to extend the culture of
cotton to places where it is not now
raised.
Cotton is an article which the wants
Of the world will always require, and
the world can not and will not get
along without it unless we can get .
better substitute, which seems now
impossible. The south from its natural
advantages can raise cotton with more
profit than any other country. There
is no part of any country SO favorable
to its production as the southern
states in point of climate, soil. labor
and the art of production. Still more
fortunate for the south, it is well
adapted to almost every plant and vege-
table which grows. 1t can raise provis-
ion crops for its own use cheaper than
it can in larger quantities, and save
the freights, handling and commissions
of the middlemen
When the southern farmer econom.
ically raises his own pork, grain, mo-
lasses and all other provisions he can,
and in addition, all the cotton and
other money crops that he can raise
sdvantageously, as our fathers did be-
fore us. then and not until then will
he begin to prosper. BY rotating his
crops in order to improve his lands,
and diversifying his crops in order to
feed his family and raise his stock, the
farmer will have little to buy. If q
farmer has 81 acres to each pillow, and
plants Is acres in cotton or some other
money crop, and each year plants half
OF his cotton land in corn, make good
crop Of peas in his corn, and turn the
peas under when sowing oats or wheat
in the fall, plant peas broadcast on the
same land in June, and follow it with
cotton; has one acre each in rye, Ber-
muda grass, ribbon cane and sweet
potatoes; half an acre each in early
sorghum and chufas, few mulberry
trees and Wild Goose plums, and q
good garden, he can make better liv-
ing on the same capital with less work
and more comfort in the southern
states than in any other part of the
world.-Cor. Southern Cultivator.