The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1899-02-23
Wilson's Advice TO the Farmers of
the South.


Secretary of Agriculture Wilson, IN
discussing the productive possibilities
of the South aud the problem Of negro
labor. says:
1.-The pressing question is, what Is
| the laborer down South. who has been
growing cotton and not getting enough
for his product to enable him 10 live
comfortably. not to speak of improve
ments in his condition, education aGd
all that. to dop Tie cotton crop leaves
very little that is valuable for domestic
animals after The picking is done, thus
differing from the corn crop OF the
Northwestern States. There is by
product the cotton seed, that is eX-
ceedingly valuable, and much good
work is being done by the scientists
at experiment stations to show how
valuable cotton seed is for feeding pur-
poses. The great cotton growing IN
dustry of the South is not up to date.
The nitrogen contents are greater than
that Of any other grain; it is richer IN
nitrogeous matter than peas or heans.
richer than gruten. meal or oil cake.
The Northern feeder and the European
feeder have been using this by-product
of the cotton fields with great advan-
tape to them, while the loss of its fer
tilizlng 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 and moisture, the two great
factors of production, and if the cotton
grower is to diversity his crops be must
use those natural advantages. The
dairy COW and mutton sheep should
succeed admirably in the South, but
something for them to eat must be pro-
vided first. The winters in the South
are mild; grasses, grains and legumes
can be sown in the fall and will grow
abundantly through the winter. upon
which the dairy COW and the mutton
sheep may thrive and produce.
"From fifth to a 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 churnlng process is
an art having much science underlying
it. But the cotton grower ofthe 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, but
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 tt
breed his heard inteligently.
The South can prepare the spring
lamb much earlier than the North can
The Southern land owner understand
horse raising. There is always ;
greater demand for saddle horses thar
is supplied. The world wants carriage
and draft horses and good roadsters
Early spring chIckens-the broilers-
can be produced down there becans'
they have milder winters and milde
springs than we have, and the North
ern market can be supplied. Shonlt
the market become oyersupplied, WI
can send this product abroad in the re
frigerated compartments of our steam
ships.
There is a diversity of opinion il
the South as to the ability of the col
ored man to be used in diversifie'
labor. The colored man is learnin;
the trades at TusEegee; he is mimi,
coal and working in the manufactur
of iron at Birmingham. Some South
ern men whom you will meet will sa
that they have the best labor IN tn
world and in some respects l am in
clined to think they have. The Sout
has reached the point that most of tn
States of the Northwest reached
Years ago section after section devote
itself to corn and wheat. until the Ian
refused to yield their crops and th
farmer was driven to seek diversifica
ton. Prosperity came to the NORTH
west through diversification of indu
tries on the farm. l know of no othel
way through which it can come to th
South 1t seems to me that the nece:
stiles of the occasion are up to the il
telligent land owner. He should il
form himself on these lines. He shout
have done it years ago. The science
which relate to agriculture would stan
HIM IN good stead. while his diplom
from literary institution is wort
very little to him. 1t is not too late
Improvements along these lines car
not be expected to originate with th
laboring men of the South; it must be
gin with the men of education"