The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-12-02
FARMING CONDITIONS SOUTH.

A North Carolina View of Them-Diffi-
culties in the Way of Improvement.
I am in the midst of the average agri-
cultural class, small farmers who own
their farms, but who have the barest
idea of what science is, and who could
mot be moved out of the way in which
they are "sot" even to save the best
part of their crops by improved cul-
ture and methods of harvesting. My
renters even refuse to cut their corn as
do my own, at the bottom of the stalk
to save the fodder but insist on pull
ing the blades and taking only the tops,
when have shown them my own prac
tice how much may be saved in fodder
and time by taking my way At the
same time they will get to 10 bushels
of corn to the acre, and divide equally
with me as the landlord, getting only
| four or five bushels for their share when
! working by the day for me they see my
own crop, grown by hired labor work.
J ing under my direction, making so bush
els to the acre and clearing the ground
| to the butts of the stalks, and having
twice as much fodder made with half
the labor. The example thus given them
is wholly insufficient to get them to
change their way, even after score of
years of visible advantage shown.
Many of my neighbors, however, who
work their own land, have adopted the
better way and are using the swivel
plows on their hill farms, imroved cuti-
vators, and taking up their corn and
shocking 1t in the best manner. And
for miles round there are owners Of
farms working their crops on the better
plan, and with the best implements, who
have gradually learned how much bet
ter 1t is to do than to follow the old
fashioned methods. Since I brought the
swivel plows here, there are several
stores keeping them in stock, with the
Acme harrows, and even the sulky
plows are in use on the bottom lands.
This is little ray of light coming in,
and as elsewhere where the owners
farm their own lands, one sees improve
ments making here and there, and year
by year more of them. This course of
Improvement exists all over the state to
some extent.
This happens, however only where
the owner Is working his own land. No
one has as yet been able to get crop
per to do this, although the use Of i'm
proved tools has been offered free. The
renting system is at fault. This Is the
incubus on the agriculture of the South;
but it Is cort Of twin, for naturally
the ignorance of the hireling, and espec-
tally the one known as the low white. |
have been able to do more with the |
Ii rr,ttI hi oil l.
are an ilI-used race, I am sure, and in |
truth, while eschewing all political |
suggestions, / may say it is politics |
which is his incubus, bearing down on
him with overshadowing wings.
The evil exists and all acknowledge |
it. The remedy Is not far to find, as / |
believe. 1t Is not operating on negroes, |
but in the immigrant of better kind |
of farmers. 1t is not political but in
dSstrial, the surplus of land unworked
is enormous. The soil is naturally fer
tile. There is no glacial drift here as
a barren hardpan under thin superficial
tillable land. The soil is the same down
to the rocks, the decay of which hasa
formed it, Every crop used in agricul-
ture may be grown in the South. There
might be cattle to overlooking reared,
and millions of sheep, without days
feeding in the winter, / have been ex-
perimenting in this line for the years in
which the poorest renter or farmer
might do, with only the ordinary woods
range, and with all possible exposures
to dogs, wildcats, raccoons, ravens; in
fact, in such a way as any of the poor
est people might do, and I have given
some out on shares to my tenants, who
have let them take their chances with
more liberality than 1 possibly have
been able to bring myself to do. And