The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1900-06-06
THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
AND WHAT IT HAS IN STORE
FOR TIE FARMER.

FOR THE FARMER.
Corresr srondence OF the Progressive Farmer.
As class, farmers are very con
scrvativc folk. Old and tried WAYS are
hard to replace even when better ones
are fairly in sight. This disposition
to cling to the past no doubt has its
good side. But after all, it ls |
the alert man who keeps his |
ears and eyes wide open, who re-
cognlzes opportunities for Improvement
when they do come, and not tthe man
with the hoe" who plods along in the |
same old rut, whose face is always to-
ward the past, and whose honest con-
viction is that "boOk farming" and
agricultural colleges" and "bullctius,,
and "iarm papers" and all such clancy
nonsense are entirely outside of and
apart from the hard, back-achng work
OF digging Il living out of the soil.
And yet, those whose memories
reach back to the early liflics can see
no reason for disbursement. The
past hall century has been prominent,
~ an era OF progress in agriculture.
Artificial fertilization with chemical
manurcs, the general use of improved
farm machinery and above all, the
successful study Of the laws of plant
growth and hygiene, hardly date back
| beyond the memory of living men and
there is the best Of reason for bciicv-
my That this advancement will 20 on
at an accelerated pace. Indeed, no
one can look out upon the century that
ls Just before uS with calm eyes and
clear vision, without thcmosL hopcrul
nnticipations. Progress is everywhere.
1t is in the very air. 1t pcrvadcs the
literature Of farming. Even the
rcstlcssncss and dlscontcn, with present
methods and results, which are at the
same time the harbingcrs and most
potent Stimulants to change, all point
IN the same direction. Farmers can
not stand still if they would. They
must move on, and TO those of us who
have fought our fight, good or bad
and who are now on the rcminisccn,
SIDE OF life, 1t Is no small source OF
gratilicaiion that the kccn-cycd, braun,
young men who, i'm our aurIcultura
colleges, are now studying one of The
most difficult and intrinsic of tlc ap
pied sciences, will find an army o
tollcrS ready TO" their leadership, mucl
more disciplined and tractabic thar
those that we have known, and tha
thcy VIII make more rapid marches an,
more brilliant conqucsts than il ha.
been our good fortune TO witness.
In addition to changes already po,nt
cd out in the farming methods of TN,
cullntrN and nSnn.i.ll,, ,,g, a.
there is probably nothing more certain
than the utter abandonment of the ON,
crop system. 1t never was a 200,
system, and it is becoming worse ever,
year. "A one crop country is alway!
on the border of disaster Bad seasons
low prices, insect pests, half hundrr,
open thoroughfarcS i'll lead that way
while success must be fought for alons
single narrow and rugged pathway
Inc worlds experience teaches tha
with tins system lOng-cOntinucd, M
impoverished soil, abandoned fields
unkcmpt, unpaintcd houses, ncwlcctc,
lcnccS, and all the discouraginy con
comltants of proiitlcss tillagc sooner OF
later are sure to appear.
The South Cannot hope 10 rcvcrs,
thus seemingly universal law, and i
would not be at all difficult TO fin,
localities that already only too clrarl,
confirm it.
On the other hand, diversified farm
ing lnt1lligently pursued means an i'm
proving country, richer soil and richer
men. ~ map OF the United States. F.:
most interesting and instructive kind
could he maze, in which The prosperil,
and wealth of the farming communt,,
might he almost exactly gaugcd by thi,
very standard.
When everything practicable is pro
ducod in horticulture, fruit GROWING
market gardening and field crops, there
lhe highest prosperity is found. II
lcssening ratio the wealth rccrdc
uhtil the one crop country is found
III could not well 90 lower, and II is ;
hopeful sign that the "cotton belt i
ut last awakening to It's own mpcrativ,
needs. OF course, this all means con
cchlrallon, less "spread out work, ;
more fertilizers, heavier crops, an inn
proving soil, diversified Industries an,
all the attendant prosperity that come.
In their train. Some of these change.
Will hereafter be more specifically con
sldcrcd. NOEMAN RoIuHSnu
y Moore Co., n. G..