The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1900-09-03

and the difficulties tnat nave Deset our
people since Its close. the farmers of the
south have done well. For their long and
heroic struggle OF thirty-five years, and
for the difficulties which they have over
come they deserve all praise. But the
success OF some up-to-date southern
farmers. where the best methods have
been employed. has been hardly less phe-
nomenal. This Is day of progress on all
lines, The farmer cannot afford to be be-
hind the manufacturer. old methods
must give way to better and newer ones.
When some enterprsing farmer proves
that soil of a certain kind can be made
to produce forty. fifty and over sixty
bushels OF wheat to the acre, and with a
largely increased profit, after deductins
tho necessary expense or bringing his
land up to such a state of productiveness,
no other farmer with a good soil should
be satisfied to pursue old methods, or be
content with yield or from ten 10
fifteen bushels to the acre. Let us hope
for active. vigorous. persistent competi-
ton on this line among all tho farmers OF
tho south. A friendly rivalry viii do
much to increase our agricultural prod
ucts and buLld up the wealth of our sec
ton In nearly all sections Of the cotton
states the greater proportion of the peer
and butter consumed In our towns comes
from the north and west. So long as this
IS the case. there Will be an urgent cali
for Improvement.
In view of the fact that the per capita
ONLY SIT while in New England II Is S3l',
and IN the west s5l9. we venture the suS-
gestion that there must be something IN
our system which neeGs Improvement.
Might not some changes In our Farming
methods bring about the raising OF more
grain and grasses. moro VeSetapleS anu
fruit more and better beer cattle. holI
milk butter and cheese, more DIES ,itu
sheen more ready money In the pochct9
Of our farmers. more prosperity TO tne
agricultural classes: hence more plenty;
contentment and happiness among "ii
glasses Of our population: -, ,.-
"Active continuous. intelligent super
vision Of all the labor on the farm Is
necessary 10 success, ~ ,,a iand
should keen an account with ms iiilu'
charging Il up with all that II costs hiiii'
and giving It credit for all that i pay
The same business methods WIlvn , t,,.e
tho sucC esSful merchant or rtlahuldc'u,T
I'm mako the successful farmer. No
hank stock or railroad shares. city Stltc
or government bonds Will pay such new!
interest on the investment aS wen mon
aged farm
Secretary Wilson Speaks.
Secretary James A. Wilson. of the de-
nartment of agriculture. tonight deHN-
ered an address before the body.
Secretary Wilson said there was no agri-
cultural nroduct that the department OF
agriculture makes greater effort To re-
mort unon accurately than the cotton
crop. Detailing the organization OF TINS
service he pointed out that there were
in all 1900 regular correspondents in the
cotton growing states. Largely as the re-
suit of the special measures put in oper-
alton the department was able last De-
cember to publish an estimate OF the
crop that has proven to be wlthin one
tenth of | per cent of the figures SHOWN
nv it's subsequent movement. FROM the
departments latest sources OF informa-
ton he said there were now IN North
Carolina l6S mills; -, IFS looms, I,V"S'-OS
suindles. which consumed SS023l bales Oh
cotton In 1898. .,u,,
The total consumption in the southern
states for the wear was t. 400, 026 bales. The
socratarv estimated that one-fitth OF the
cron of the southern states is being man
ufactured within the souths porderS'
Pointing to the figures Of exports OF ra"
cotton manufactures. Secretary wilson
said: -,
when we find the United States loah-
ing money to several foreign cuuh'l VS.
and certain lines of manufacturer So1. .
woods being bought in the United states
nv dealers In Scotland. IT indicates very
emphatically the position now occuPiSu
nv our country among the nations Oh 'ne
earth Ill.
Ua referred TO the fact that the SOUTH
ern states have much heavier ra'iltAA
than the northern states ana that 'ho
southern states suffer much more from
the drought than TO the st"t'S "a "
INC cause. he said. is to be found In the
condition of the soil. In the new por-
lions of the country wnere there -
sufficient rainfall TO grow crops anu
where there Is deep soil fun OF humuS,
much less rainfall will mature crops; ne
Sout bern states have been under cultiN"-
ton for a long time. HumuS. decay Su
vegetation. is becoming scarce In the
soil When the roll is well stocked Win
humus II is able To retain moisture; lie
suggested the pracucaDlhty OF SouuIieIu
cultivators replacing the humus In Their
soil by growing grasses and leSumeS, De-
cause there is "a great demand at the pres
ent time and probably always Will be Tor
nrst-claSs horses. cattle. sheep and other
grazing animals. The southern cultiYa-
tor. he said Is famed for his excellence
flock master.
South's Crop Injured.
"The cotton crop of the south" he said,
has been suffering on account of the
drought. and on account of heavy rains.
There are. of course. methods by which
the bad effects of heavy rains on bottom
lands can Toe avoided that no doubt are
well known to intelligent cultivators ~
the south. greater problem is the loss
of crops from drought and the necessity
of adopting systems or management that
will prepare the soil To resist to as great
extent as POSSIBLE the effect OF long con-
tinued droughts. 1t would be entirely
practicable on your hilly lands TO double
the amount of cotton grown by putting
the lands into grazing pastures or even
into meadow condition where the crop
is taken eff by the mower or by green
manuring."
The secretary pointed TO the great de-
mand abroad for first-class horses. and
especially such horses as are more COM
mon to the south than anywhere else.
We can produce he said. such cattle and
such teams as are wanted In foreign
countries and bring the best prices there,
cheaper than they can be produced else
where Two Influences. he said in con-
clusion. are at work to help the south
ern farmers. one is a better home mar
ket and the other is less competition
from the great west. The former he
said. will come largely from the large
percentage of southern workers who in
future will devote their lives to manufac-
turing and the latter from the produc-
ton of the great Mississippi valley turn
ing westward more and more TO find
markets in the mountain states the Pa
cihc coast and the far orient
Hill, of Kansas, Is President.
Raleigh. N. c.. August 29.-The COM
missloners of agriculture Of the cotton
states today discussed special subjects.
prOfaccor Milton Of