The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1899-01-11

Atlanta. Jan. L, 1919.
The beginning Of the new year Is
uron us and lS9Swith all its hopes and
d;sapponitments, is thing of the past.
1t will be we'll for each of us at this
time. before we commence our work for
the year. TO take calm and thoughtful
view Of the situation, aud then to act as
become sensible men.
What, then. do we find to be the con-
di,ion Of the average Georgia farmer al
this time? .Af,cl working for months
TO make aud gather large cotton crop,
has he any money left from its sale? l
say cmphaticalIy no, Those farmers
are for,unate Indeed who have been
able to pay the debts incurred by them
in making the last cotton crop, the vast
majority having unpaid accounts against
them either for guano, meat, corn or
goods OF other kinds.
Has the average Georgia farmer
supply of corn, oats, hay and fodder,
with which to feed his stock of every
kind until he can make another crop?
Has he plenty of home made meate and
-four and syrup, with which to feed all
hands on his farm for the next 10
months? Are his mules. and horses,
and cattle, and hogs, and sheep in good
order and we'll cared for, now in the
midst of a cold, long winter? Has he
an abundance Of poultry Of all kinds,
we'll housed and we'll fed? Has he
plenty Of good milk and butter from
graded Jersey or Holstein cows? Has
he a rich garden from which he can
daily gather the winter vegestable to
add to bis bill Of fare? To all these
questions I must regretfully answer
no. And yet I assert positively that
all these a-e within easy reach Of every
land owner in Georgia who will throw
of the curse of all cotton growing, and
-eturn to the ways of our fathers.
Shall we continue to grow and sell
cotton below the cost of production Ito
the great delight of the balance of man
kind, who care nothing for our suffer
inSs), until total ruin overtakes US, or
shall we make united and determined
effort to raise our own supplies in abun-
dance. and thus make our cotton crop
an absolute surplus? | see no hope for
our farmers save to adopt the latter
plan aud stick to i, regardless Of the
price of cotton. Don't dehsde your.
self with the idea that your neighbors
will diminish their cotton acreage and
Therefore you will increase yours in the
hope of getting a good price. There
could be no greatermistake of judgment
than this, as the selfish farmer so act.
ing will fnd to his cost at the end OF
the season.
If Georgia mace no cotton this year,
the loss would doubtless be made up by
the yearly increased acreage Of rich cot
ton lands brought into cultivation west
of the Mississippi river. We had bet
ter prepare ourselves for long period OF
low priced cotton, for the outlook prom
ises nothing else, and being prepared,
we can better endure sucn a calamity.
For 80 years we have relied on cot
ton alone with which to purchase every
thing else. During that time we have
made not less than 10000, 900 Of bales,
worth at moderate estimate, fully
IS. 90, 900. 600. What has become OF
this vast amount OF money, which, II
kept at home, would have made US one
of the richest States in the Union? 1t
has all gone to pay the farmers and
manufacturers Of the north and east for
supplies Of various kinds, every item
Of which we could and should have pro
duced within our own borders Sup
pose we had made only 10, 900, 600 bales
in the past 80 years, and in addition
had produced all the supplies that we
have bought from other States, is 1t
not self evident that we would be bet
ter off by $500, 5000 than we are at
present? The entire property of the
State, cities included, is now but lit
tie over s4O0. 900, 900, and the farmers
Of Georgia ought alone to have BEEN
richer by this vast AMOUNT, had they
not been dc!uded by the all-cotton fal-
lacy.
Look around you in your different
communities and note the successful
farmers Of your acquaintance; lpTari-
ably YOU will find them to be the men
who have diversified their crops and
raised their OWL supplies. No State or
section, can prosper that relies entire
lv on one crop. Kansas tried it with
wheat, until most of her farms were
mortgaged, and she was only saved
from utter ruin, it is said, by the hen
and the COW. Now, with diversified
farming, she is again on the road to
prosperity.
write as farmer to farmers, know
ing and aprreciasing the difficulties in
the way, but | believe they can all be
overcome by a persistent and deter
mined effort in the right direction. |
by no means advise the abandonment OF
cotton culture, for we have no other
money crop upon which We can with alb
solute certainty depend; but | urge
upon ana plead with each and every far
mer in the State 10 plant no seed cot
ton until he has planted such an acre
age of each and every other crop that
viii grow on his land, that, let the sea-
son be dry or wet, he will be assured of
ABUNDANT and varied provision crops.
In addition to this: let proper atten:
ton be given to the raising Of stock Of
Of all kinds, particularly cattle, hogs
and poultry. With proper manage
aeut. it is easier aad cheaper to raise a
pound Of pork or a pound Of any kind
Of poultry han it is to raise pound of
cotton. and yeta pound of pork is worth
as much to three times as much as a
pound of cotton The papers stated
that Atlanta alone used 700 turkeys
on Thanksgiving day, and | venture to
say that MIN, teuths Of them came
from Tennessct and kentucky. What
commentary on our method OF farm