The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1897-11-15
What the Farmers Need.


In the current number of The South'
ern States Farm Magazine DR.. Chaile5
W. Dabney, Jr., discusses some OF the
needs of agriculture in this secuoh. On
account of the timeliness of this article
The Constitution feels warranted in call
ing the attention of it's readers to some
of the salient points therein discussed
AS Dr.. Dabney puts it, the great prob
lem of southern agriculture is to make
farming in this section pay. Up to the
present time the farmers Of the south
have not derived from the soil that
measure of rec0mpense which its unsllf-
passed fertility is calculated to yield
and the reason which Dr., Dabney gives
for this unsatisfactory experience is that
our farmers, like those the world over,
are disposed to move along in certain
ruts. He contends that for twenty years
or more the farmers of the south have
devoted themselves almost exclusively
to the raising Of cotton and tobacco, and
that present conditions in the south are
largely the result of this restriction.
"The high prices of cotton and tobacco
which prevailed twenty years ago says
DIR Dabney, NATURALLY betrayed our
farmers into raising these crops and
simply because they know how to
grow them easily they continue to
raise cotton and tobacco, III spite
Of the fact that prices have fallen almost
10 the cost of production. This tendon
cv exists the world over. 1t is far easier
to keep in the Old rut than to pull out
of it," As remedy for present evils
DR. Dabney urges our southern farmers
to study the resources Of their farms
for the purpose of raising supplies need
ed to support the workers employed
thereon aud also, at the same time, tc
study the demands of the market. He
argues that cur farmers are too prone
to raise money crops without giving any
attention to those needed supplies Tor
which large sums have to be paid out
during the year. In this connection Dr..
Dabncy says:
One special need of southern agriculture
is to make stll more meat and m liz. with
the increased production OF forage in TIM
south the production Of meat. milk and
butter has greatly increased during the
last ten years. The Increased crops Of
corn mean more hogs, and larger crops Of
hay and oats mean more cattle and stock
Of every KIND Dairy products viii
always be in great demand among civilized
people. The more highly civilized they are
the moro of these products they consume
1t is estimated by the United States depart
ment of agriculture that tn, milk from
100000 cows is annually consumed as mil,
in the United States, the average being
about twenty-five and It half gallons per
year for each person 81 Is Butter is be
coming more and more necessity to all
aforementioned people and within recent |
years cream has become an important ar /
ticlo Of commerce. The Demand for con-
dcnsed milk is said to be steJdily growing.
Cheese is also being used more and more
IN this country as an article of food
To show how little the south has con-
tributed toward supplying the demand
for dairy products, pointed out in the
foregoing paragraph, Or, Dabney con /
tinUes:
The facts show that the southern farmers
have many fewer COWS than the farmers
of any other section Of the country. The
populations Of Georgia and Michigan are ap- /
pr0Nimatoiy the same ana 50 are the NUM- |
Der of improved acres in farms. but GcUr-
gia had in 1889 less than 100000 mil"h COWS. /
against 100000 N tho state of Micnigan; /
Virginia ana Wisconsin have approximately /
the same total population, and the Same .
number Of improved acres in farms. Many
portions Of Virginia are just as wei adapt /
ed for dairying as is Wisconsin. while VII /
Einia has every advantage in the way of !
climate and accessibility to markets. Bus J
Virginia had in 1889 only 2750Go mich COWS.
as against 00000 in Wisconsin.
Of course anything like d thorough /
review Of DR.. Dabnoy's article cannot be 1
attempted in this connection, but from |
the features touched upon. it is evident /
that our southern farmers, in addition /
to raising diversified crops for the mar.
Eet, need also to produce such farm sup /