The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1899-02-09
WARMING TO FARMERS
AGRICULTURAL COMMISSIONER
STEVENS ON THE RECENT
RISE I'm COTTON.
ONLY DELUsfoN AND SNARE
Dawn of Better Times la Sight II
Farmers Will but Stand Firm
aud Diversity Crops.
Divcrsiiy Crops.
Feb. /.

outlook ahead of them, and numbers of
them particularly of the tenant class)
are talking Of Abandoning the farms
| and seeking employment in the cities
This would be fatal move to the great
majority of those who might try it The
cities are already overcrowded with peo-
pie who cannot obtain regular work,
! and additional numbers would only ag.
grayate this already bad condition. Re.
member how your fathers acted at the
| close of the war, 81 years ago. Return
ing as they did to ruined homes, with.
| out money, without credit, many of
them broken down in health, they went
to work with the same resolution and
bravery that had enabled them for four
years to resist the overwhelming armies
of the north, and out of that ruin they
built up great state, and in a measure
restored their shattered fortunes. You
are sons of those heroic sires, and should
not be daunted by difficulties no greater
than they met and overcame. Industry
and economy are bound to win now, as
they did after the war.
While the results of last years opera
tons have in very many cases been dis
couraging, let us not lose heart, but
with redoubled energy and with re.
newed hope let as strive for better re.
suits this year. "Where there is will,
there is a way" and if we earnestly de-
sire to be rid of the despotic rule of
"king cotton" we can certainly find a
way to do SO. think can see the
dawn of better times coming for our
farmers. With the reports of largely
increased seeding of small grain; of
many -four mills being erected in the
state (the largest in tho south, now
about completed in Atlanta, which will
consume 5000 bushels Of wheat and
5000 bushels of corn daily, and will fur
nish a cash market at railroad stations
for grain); of packing houses being es.
tablished, that stand ready to purchase
every fat hog and beef that we will
raise, am sure there is reason for the
faith within me" that Georgia has
reached the last milestone on the
downward road to poverty, and will from
this point, steadily. and hope rapidly,
advance towards the goal of prosperity
and independence. Do not be deceived
ii as planting time approaches the men
who control the prices Of cotton, permit
it to advance little in value. They
want large crop planted and are even
now getting anxious, because of the
prospective decrease in acreage. You
have been caught by this attractive bait
in former years. and experience should
teach you to recognize and avoid it now.
DON'T forget the caution that gave in the
January letter, viz: to repel the thought,
that because your neighbors will plant
less cotton you will plant more in hope
of better prices. This is most danger.
Gus ground to take. for II generally
adopted. the logical result would be an
enormous crop, with still lower prices.
] know that advice on this line is sell
dom appreciated, but being farmer of
| long experience, deem it my duty to
put the matter plainly before my brother
farmers, hoping that good may result
from it. II my advice given last month
has been followed, the fences on our
farms have been repaired; new terraces
run of and old ones mended where nee.
essary; many compost heaps have been
made; as the weather permitted, much
grain has been seeded, and the prepare
ton of the ground for other crops is
fairly under way.
While the season for whea. sowing is
| past, there is still time to plant oats,
! this being probably the best spring
month for that purpose. AS the period
for roofing and growth of the crop be-
comes shorter as the the season advances,
1t necessarily follows that the land
seeded to oats during this month should
be richer, and il possible better pre-
pared, than land seeded in the fall. The
root growth of the spring sown oats will
not be as great as when seeded in the
fall, therefore il good crop is expected
from the spring planting, there must be
more available plant food in the soil.
You also need variety of oats that will
mature quickly, and I known of none
better than the BURT" While they
do not yield as heavily as some other
varieties, they mature very early and
seldom rust. Do not fail to put in a
good acreage in oats while there is still
time to do SO, for you are likely to need
them badly next summer, and You could
have no better feed for your work stock.
In the southern part of the state corn
planting should commence before this
month expires, particularly on the red
lands of that section. These lands warm
up earlier than do the gray lands, and
can therefore be planted from ten days
to two weeks sooner. Don't make the
mistake ESQ common among negro ten.