The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-12-12
why Farmers 10 Mott Quit Cotton
kaufman Sun.


why Farmers DO Not Quit Cotton.
Kaufman Sun.
A few days since we took occasion 10
draw an intelligent farmer out on the
subject OF diversified crops and why It
was that farmers did not quit raising 80
much cotton. He had just sold some cot
ton for less than he thought 1t should have
brought. and at first did not seem to he
in the very best OF mood toward news
papers. but being naturally good naturtd
he soon drifted oh into answering our Ques-
lions While We will not attempt TO give
his exact language. the following is the
line OF his thought. 20 far as we can re-
| produce them from memory Said he.
| 1t is an easy matter to give ones opln-
| ions and advice They cost nothing and
many times are worth nothing, Farmers
know this as we'll as other ptOp.e. and this
| is the reason why the columns OF advice
to farmers, so often given by some news
| papers. are never acted upon. IL it cost the
| farmers nothing to act on the advice given
! them, doubtless many would experiment
| instead Of travelling beaten lines In farm
| ing. But experiments cost. New departures
are often ruinous. and most farmers have
neither capital nor labor TO invest in
them. Farmers. like other people. can see
| n good thing, but In most instances. like
other people. their environment is such
that they fear TO run the possible chance
Of failure, in taking hold OF new departures.
The farmer In Texas is d producer, and
| stringent circumstances In a measure COM
pei him to produce that for which there
is demand. This Is nearly altogether true
with the renting class No doubt farmers
should produce ali they eat and drink cx
eept sugar and coffee. and some other lux
uries. ANY farmer viii admit this as true.
but can they all DO lt2 is the question with
many. The unpaid note for his little farm.
the mortgage On his horses. the rents
which his landlord demands, the school
books needed by his children. medicine and
clothes for himself and family, DO not ere
ate imaginary wants~-tEty are real They
are demands that must be met. aad usually
| a fun cotton crop seems TO be the shortest
way to meet thcse demands We are speak
ing now mere particularly Of that class OF
farmers who have each year 10 mortgage
everything In sight to secure credit for
what they buy. Most Of them commenced
life under the conditions q ten twenty and
thirty years ago when times were flush.
and have drfted along with the current
OF conditions without fully realizing IN
what direction they were tending. II IS
lard TO get out of such a current however
much one may desire to. Yet many are
beginning to realize that whether they Will
or not. more Of the necessaries Of life
Must be produced nj home. Advising farm
ere. however to diversity their crops. Is
not going TO make them TO do It, You
must demonstrate the increased value OF
certain kinds OF products as compared
with cotton, and the farmer will not he
long about turning his attention 20 he sup
plying OF those kind % products even II he
has TO get out OF the old ruts 10 do il.
To illustrate wheat has gone up. con-
seQuently more wheat has been planted in
this county than ever before for years.
Farmers like everybody else, are In debt
snd they see TO other way TO pay thess
cebtz except with cotton. But even thus
hamptrcG, most farmers stand ready to
\ abandon cotton II there were a market
ifor other products. Without capital OF their
own to put other farming enterprises on
bot they are forced 20 await the beheRts
4 capital. Let capital come TO Kaufman
hnd say we want to put in O sugar plant
here ard win contract with hundred re-
|sponsihle farmers TO raise ms so many toGs
NJ sugar beeis. ard the farmers viii be
Iurd who viii cut their crops in two n
" showing can be made ttat by so doinv
~ will make even go9d wages out OF
ir experiment.. But capital is rot going
undertake any such enterprise. II Is not
s. 10 experims-t along that line
\hsr can the farmer whoss muscle IN
~ r-n'tel devn.e -s-'-h tisr~ - ~r~ns
Ten Ia re IS no market. In sen nee
si,y IN rart Imaginary but mostly
impels the ayGrage farmer Il raise
Great Paper.
ein-ar Mercury.