The Southern herald., 1899-04-07
EARMERAND PLANTER.
FARMING IN THE SOUTH.
Secretary OF Agriculture Wilson on the
Necessity of Crop DiversihcaIiOh
In the SOuthern States.


In the Southern States
Secretary of Agriculture Wilson, in 1
discussing the productive possibili- !
ties of the south and the problem of |
negro labor, made the following OBJ,
servations;
The pressing question is, what is the |
laborer down south, who has been
growing cotton and is not getting
enough for his product 10 in the
future enable him to live comfortably, |
not to speak of improvements in his
condition, education aud all that, TO
do? The cotton crop leaves very little
that is valuable for domestic animals
after the picking is done, thus differ
ing from the corn crop of the north
western states. There is a by-product,
the cotton seed, that is exceedingly
valuable as a nutrient, and much good
work is being done by scientists at ex-
pertinent stations to show how valua-
Die cotton seed is for feeding pur-
poses. The great cotton-growing in
dustry of the south is not up to date.
The nitrogen content is greater than
Of any of the grains, it is richer in M
trogencus matter than peas or beans,
richer than gluten, meal or oil cake.
The northern feeder and the European
feeder have been using this by-proG-
uct of the cotton fields with great adj
vantage to them, while the loss of its
fertilizing qualities to the south has
been very great. The south has more
marked advantages over the north
with regard to production. 1t has
more heat ard moisture, the two
great factors Of production, and If the
cotton grower is TO diversity his crops
he must use those natural advantages.
The dairy COW and mutton sheep
would succeed admirably in the south,
but something for them to eat must
be provided first The winters in the
south are mild; grasses and grains
sown in the fall grow abundantly
through the winter upon which the
dairy COW and the mutton sheep may
thrive and produce.
From a fifth TO fourth Of all the
fat of all the milk on the farms of the
United States is lost because people do
not thoroughly understand when to
churn cream. The churning process
Is an art having much more science
underlying it, But the cotton grower
of the south only needs to learn the
way, while the man who teaches him
can understand the science.
Much yet remains to be discovered
in the art of breeding animals, buJ
enough is known to indicate to the in
structor of the colored cotton grower
of the south, who is to be diverted into
work of this kind TO enable him to
breed his herd intelligently.
The south can prepare the spring
lamb much earlier than the north can.
The southern land owner understands |
his situation. There is always a |
greater demand for saddle horses than
is supplied The world wants carriage
and draft horses and good roadsters.
Early spring chickens can be pro-
duced down there because they have
mlder winters and milder springs
than we have, and the northern mar
ctcan be supplied. Should the market
become over supplied we can send this
product abroad in the refrigerated
compartment of our steamships.
There is diversity Of opinion in
the south as to the ability of the col
ored man to be used in diversified Ia
bor The colored man is learqing the
trades at Tuslegee; he is mining coal
and working the manufacture Of iron
at Birmingham. Some southern men
whom you will meet will say that they
have the best labor in the world, and in
some respects | am inclined TO think
they have The south has reached the
point that most of the states of the
northwest reached. Years ago section
after section devoted itself 10 corn and
wheat, until the land refused to yield
their crops. and the farmer was driven
TO seel, diversifcation. Prosperity
came to the northwest through the di.
ytrsfcation of industries on the farm.
] know of no other way through which
it can come 10 the south. IT seems 20
me that the necessities of the occasion
are up TO the intelligent land owner.
lie should inform himself on these
lines. He should have done it years ago.
The sciences which relate TO agricul-
turc would stand him in good stead
while his diploma from a literary in
stitution is worth very little to him. II
it not too late improvement along
these lines cannot be expected to origi
nate with the laboring men of the
south, it must begin with the men of