The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1899-01-21
FARMER AND PLANTER.
A SERIOUS SITUATION.
The Cotton Planter Has Labored for Year
and Probably Comes Out Deeper
In Debt.

the farmer. He has worked and la.
bored for a year, and at the end of il
finds he has made nothing, possibly
has sunk money. His debts are as big
as they ever were, and his taxes are
greater than they ever were. An
economic and political problem
stare him In the face. He must change
his farming plans and methods, and
he must work for a reduction of pub
lie expenditures. As to the economic
problem, one thing is so patent that it
calls for no thought or discussion-he
must raise less cotton. Reason and
good sense have suggested this for
years past; facts: hard stern facts,
now COMPEL it. The average farmer
has been slow to learn the lesson, but
necessity now beats 1t into his head;
he can not deceive himself any long
er. Change or bankruptcy are the two
horns of his dilemma. What can he
substitute in the place of cotton, is the
great economic problem now before
him. 1t is one which calls for the pro-
foundest thought, the deepest study,
and one about which a conclusion
must soon be reached. The new year
will soon be here, and work in new
directions must soon begin. A sec
ond point in the economic problem Is
just as apparent as the one already
mentioned; namely, he must devote all
the land, labor and other things requi-
% 20 oh, nf hnr1a
supplies. This is an old song, but it
can not be sung too often. The wis
dom of substituting full supply of
provisions for it's equivalent in cotton
is as plain as the MONDAY sun. No
one will dispute it. 1t only remains
to go to work and do it. The details
in carrying on the substitute will vary
somewhat with ones conditions and
surroundings. In the extreme south
ern portions of the cotton belt, it may
not be practicable to raise wheat, but
in those regions rice may take the
place of wheat, for if lowlands are
not universally available, upland rice
can be cultivated with success. And
rice can very largely take the place of
wheat. 1t can be beaten or ground
into flour, with which great variety
of breads can be made. We speak on
this point from wide experience.
In the mountainous and northern
portions of the cotton belt where the
tropical sugar cane can not be grown
sorghum can be, and strip and even
sugar obtained therefrom. Corn can
be grown everywhere, and where
sweet potatoes do not thrive the Irish
potato flourishes. Milk and butter
can be had in all regions, and SO can
chickens and eggs. With an abundant
supply of milk, butter, chickens and
eggs farmers family can dispense
with almost all other kinds of ami
nal food. There is vast room for ex-
pansion and development of the dairy
and the poultry yard on most farms,
and they call for a very trifling ex-
penditure of labor or money. 1t be-
hooves our farmers to awake to the
possibilities in these directions, in
place of going to town to buy western
pork. Another available source of
cheap wholesome meat is the raising
of the European or domestic rabbit.
They breed with great rapidity and
thrive in confinement. A yard fenced
with wire netting and cheap shelter
to supply dens are the outlay needed.
The goat is also worthy of more at
tention as q source of cheap and ex-
cellent meat. He will live where al
most any other animal will starve,
and wire fencing combats successful
ly his climbing propensities. In many
regions sheep can be raised success
fully and supply both excellent meat
for the table and wool for money
crop. Beef, of course. is available
everywhere. The difficulty in consum-
ing whole carcass in hot weather
may be overcome by establishing
neighborhood clubs, the members of
which kill animals in succession and
divide out, rotating the choice parts.
Some hog, of course, must be had. but
there is no need, and he should not be
allowed to monopolize the meat house.
A few pigs dropped in early spring
and pushed through the summer on
crops easily raised, and which have
been discussed heretofore in these
columns, will be ready for slaughter
the ensuing winter and furnish the
needed supply of pork at very cheap
figures. Added to above supplies of
food vegetable garden and an or
chard can make the farmer almost I'm
dependent of the outside world
Co,,fharn C,,Itivofor