The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-02-15
COTTON DIVERSIFICATION.

Tn a recent issue the Galveston News
unfinished a number of letters urging 'he
.lantarS Of the South 10 reduce COTTON
ac,aaca The following letter, written
bv r. r. Dancy & Co, of houston
Teyas. has been widely published:
The planters must diversity their
crops and plant less cotton OF our peau
tiful land, with the most productive soi
an earth. will produce pauper.sm, want
and misery to those who have the power
in their own hands 10 mould thelf uesu-
They claim unless the tenant and
average farmer VIII agree 10 Pan "
certain quantity of cotton acreage the
merchants cannot and Will not supply MS
wants. We have seen considerable OF
Texas life. and state, without heslta-
zion that the average Texas farmer lives
noorfr than any other. The land ne
fills will produce equal 10 any IN the
world. and if thrifty he could within 4
short time make himself together indie
PENDENT of the merchant. Instead or
contracting debts, he would have money
To spend with his merchant.
..On most plantations the luxury OF the
garden is ignored. Luxuriant grasses.
ready for hay. about the time cotton
picking commences, are neglected, II
lowed to waste, instead of housing be-
cause all time and labor must be given
to cotton. On the opening of Spring ne
must buy provender for his working an
imals. Those things which q country
man in Europe or the Eastern States of
our land would consider nccessaries of
life and health are neglected-certanly
not from ignorance. for YOU seldom see 4
grown NAN or woman that cannot read
and write.
Note the following facts and ponder
over them:
The Planter has not raised the corn
10 provide his afn heuse with bread.
He has not raised the horses or mules
required to keep up his own farm.
He has not raised the COWS and hogs
an supply milk. butter and meat fo!
HIS own table use.
He has not raised tobacco. potatoes.
peanuts. or sugar cane ~ sorghum To
| make sugar and syrup for home con-
sumption.
"fIe has not raised even Il few chick
ems and turkeys to have eggs. and Oh
some occasion a good owl for dinner.
He has not raised any of the many
Neutrality-suspicious., turnips. lettuce,
tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, etc, 50
nutritious and easily cultivated i'll this
climate and soil.
He has not raised any melons, but
knows the luxury of one on Il hot day,
taken from a we'll or spring, upon COM
ing from hard work in cultivating the
one and all important cotton crop.
He has not raised any apples, pears.
peaches, atricots. figs or grapes-any Of
these he could raise, if he would.
But. the head Of the farm by perfer-
ence takes his team, drives to town and
buys from his merchant all the various
n4cessaries-also butter, cheese, lard
coffee. tobacco, g peanuts. sugar,
cabba &c. turnips. melons. candy. a jus
of syrup, a sack of corn and a bale
of hay. Anything his merchant has not
in stock, he must do without, or the
merchant must send out and get It on
him. Still. he seems blind to his owl
welfare and continues to plant cotton, let
the price be what it may.
America produces ABOUT fOurths
of all the cotton grown in the world an.
no other country can take precedence
The very low prices existing now TO
cotton are not of special benefit to any
one. On account OF Oye~r-prOductlOn TN
planter must sell his product at a pric,
below its cost to produce. The merchan
must take it in payment of the plant
ers account and do his utmost to clea
, himself on a close margin, if at all. Th'
buyer must seek the world by liable
and telegraphs, meeting competition 70
any outlet for it, often simply swapping
dollars to make sales and relieve him
/ self and bankers of the load.
, The manufacturer learning from eX
= perience buys close and is willing som
: one else should carry the cotton, since !
saves interest and risk, and because TIL
contracts he can make for his goods ar
scaled to the closest point, and his cap
ital is necessarily employed en- the man
ufacture Of goods he must carry, becaus
5 Of the Over-production. Hence, tn
enormous crop, besides entailing heav,
: losses to the farmers, Is u disadvantage
and the entire responsibility lies wit
, the farmer. The balance of the power !
his. To success or ruin all must folio,
him.
with such experience and actual fact
the planter should be willing to call
> halt. use some Judgment, diversity hi
planting. and mex FAN the result wi
already begin to show such a wave q
e prosperity for this land of the Soutl
that every man reducing his acreage j
cotton % per cent, or more, would fee
that he had been instrumental. in par
in bringing il about; that it was tn
II turning point OF success in HIS farInin
life and he had lived to learn and i
convinced that something WAS bett.
3 than all cotton"
THE PRODUCTION OF MAPL
le SUGAR SYRUP IN NORTH
CAROLINA