The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1897-02-27

UNDER WHICH KING I?


attention to corn. They bad been in
tho habit, as is well-kuowu, of de.
pending upon the proceeds Of the cot.
ton crop for the purchase OF all corn,
meat, and food stuhs, used for their
families, tenants, and stock. Scarcely
anything OF the kind was raised on the
plantation. Many planters actually
bought butter aud eggs from dis
lance for the use OF their families.
With the regular decline III The price
Of cotton It at last became impossible
FOR this one crop to provide all that
was needfu for the maintenance of
the farmer Il became, with many, 3
case of necessity 10 raise their own
food 1t was a case OF corn and hogs
or starve. 1895 vas perhaps the most
fortunate year in the last twenty that
could have been selected for the pur-
pose. Almost every planter in the
county put in a large acreage of corn.
An enormous crop was produced,
There was corn enough IN the county,
IL was supposed, TO supply Its needs
for years to come 1t was burden.
Because the farmers could not sell It
for big price as soon as it was gath
cred, they became Disguised, and de-
clared that they would not attempt to
raise another crop of If. Some sold #
for a song to get rid oft, others bought
hegs and bred large droYes Of them to |
consume it. Others packed it away
i'll cribs, taking measures to preserve
it from weeyils aud decay, and arc de-
pending upon that very corn TO run
them through the present spring
Some Of the results of the corn crop
OF 1898 arc as follows: From that
yesr dates the prosperity which The
agricultural interest of the county Is
still enjoying. An abundance of home
grown meat followed the immense
corn crop. Az q natural consequence, |
for mole than yesr, and for the first
time since the war, the planters have
been practically independent Of the
st. Louis aud New Orleans provision
market. They have been able TO pay /
theircurrent expenses without trouble, /
and even, In many cases, to make pay-E
menls on the mortgages which have
SO long been the country's curse. They I
have spent the money they would
have used for the purchase of meat
aud meal for mules, farm Implements I
needed improvements, and homo com
forts. The past year was ono Of DIS
astrous drouth. Comparatively lit
tie corn was raised, although thatE
which was planted early aud proper
ly worked produced fair crop. This
sprng there ia a universal disposition
to neglect the corn crop and put in
all the cotton possible, 1t ia mistaken
wisdom to try to conceal the fact.
There will be al effort made to raise
an overwhelming cotton crop. What
will be the result? Cotton at five
cents. The surplus corn from the
year of plenty all gone by June and &
but little to take its place, Hogs i,
mules and cattle starved or gotten rid
of Meat moal aud feed bought sgaln | =
With five cent cotton from St. Louis
and Chicago. The last state OF the
farmer worse than The first
Already the bad effects Of this cut Al
.hroat policy ars beginning to mani Ii
lest themselves Let any intelligent d
'armer see aud talk % the managers .,
# our greatest provision concerns II
he Goyor Co, or tho Delta Grocery p
O., or any other that sells by whole p
ale to the planters, and lie will be u
old that neglect of the corn crop and :,
be pig sty win speedily put the farm C,
re- back to where they stood four or it
vo years ago. These concerns today e
re selling Incredible quantities Of "
zeal, corn and meat to Delta farmers al
very pound of which should have SC
eou produced by them at home This N
acknowledgement by the merchants Is ~
lot made from disiuterested motives II
ntirely, Of course. They argue that N
heir own prosperity depends ON that pr
f The country they supply, and that -
My The prosperity to the farmers aud 4,
ne Independence which followed when ps
hey became self supporting, has eu- pc
bled these concerns to flourish as Sc
ley have doue in the past TWO years. ~
he moral OF the story is too PLAIN to Ali
BED telling Plenty Of corn-evon tel
lrplus-pIsnty Of hogs aud feed no
ufs means independence to the pI
rmer, money Of his own in his f.,
)cket to spend az be likes The pros ste
'rity Of the past year was directly ev'
upon the corn crop OF "'
50. No provision is being made to ia
place that corn, which is now near
exhausted. A five cent crop of Me
ton is very probable, and l0,0O0.OOO oe'
les OF cotton az four or I've cents ' 'u1
d no corn in the country means col AGE
se. aud