The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1898-05-14
FARMER AND PLANTER.
SOME PLAIN FARM FACTS.
Crops II He Would be
Prosperous.


In letter to Messrs Latham Alex
ander & Co., of New York, Messrs. r.
r. Dancy & Co., of Houston, Tex, have
something to say on the subject of di-
versifcations which should have a
healthy effect upon every cotton grow
err. 1t is as follows:
'sThe planters must diversity their
crops and plant less cotton, or our
beautiful land, with the most produc-
tive soil on earth. will produce pauper-
ism, want and misery to those who
have the power in their own hands to
mold their destiny
They claim unless the tenant and
average farmer will agree to plant
certain quantity of cotton acreage the
merchants can not and will not supply
his wants. We have seen considerable
of Texas life, and state, without hest
tation, that the average Texas farmer
lives poorer than any other. The land
he tills will produce equal to any in
the world, and if thrifty he could,
within a short time, make himself al
together Independent of the merchant.
Instead of contracting debts he would
have money to spend with his mer-
chant.
ION most plantations the luxury of
the garden is ignored. Luxuriant
grasses, ready for hay, about the time
cotton picking commences, are neg
lected, allowed to waste, instead of
housing, because all time and labor
must be given to cotton. On the
opening of spring he must buy
provender for his working animals.
Those things which a countryman in
Europe or the eastern states of our
land would consider necessaries of life
and health are Enthusiastically
not from ignorance, for you seldom see
a grown man or woman that can not
read and write.
Mote the following facts and ponder
over them:
The planter has not rised the corn
wheat to provide his own house with
bread.
HE has not raised the horses or
mules required to keep up his own
farm.
|
to supply milk, butter and meat for his
own table use.
He has not raised tobacco, potatoes,
peanuts or sugar-cane or sorghum to
make sugar and strip for home con-
sumption.
He has not raised even few chick
ems aud turkeys to have eggs, and on
some special occasion a good fowl for
dinner.
He has not raised any of the many
vegetables-cabbage, turnips, lettuce,
tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, etc., SC
nutritious and easily cultivated in this
climate and SOIL
He has not raised any melons, but
knows the luxury of one on hot day
taken from a well 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, plums, apricots, figs or grape.
any of these he could raise, if hi
would.
But the head of the farm by prefer
. ence takes his team, drives to town ant
buys from his merchant all the variou.
necessaries; also, butter, cheese, lard
coffee, tobacco, eggs, peanuts, sugar
; cabbage, turnips, melons, candy, a jug
, of sirup, a sack of corn and bale o
hay. Anything his merchant has no
in stock he must do without, or tn,
merchant must send out and get it TO
him. Still he seems blind to his owl
welfare, continues to plant cotton, lie
: the price be what it may.
America produces about three
: fourths of all the cotton grown in tn
world, and no other country can tax
precedence. The very low prices exist
! ing now for cotton are not of specia
! benefit to anyone. On account of over
production the planter must sell hi
I product at price below its cost to pre-
duce. The merchant must take it i
/. payment of the planters account an
: do his utmost to clear himself on clos
margin, if at all. The buyer must see
the world by cables and telegraphs
meeting competition for any outlet TO
it, often simply swapping dollars t
bankers of the load.
The manufacturer, learning from ez
$ perience, buys close, land is willing som
: one else should carry the cotton, sine
it saves interest and risk, and becaus
q the contracts he can make tor his good
!. are scaled to the closest point, and hi
: capital is necessarily employed in tn
manufacture of goods he must carr
because of the overproduction. Henc,
/ l. Il
heavy losses to the farmers, is disas
!. vantage, and the entire responsible
lies with the farmer. The balance {
the power is his. To success or rui
all must follow him.
with such experience and actus
facts the planter should be willing I