The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1900-11-22
BETTER FARMING METHODS.

i. }. Merriam in Tri-Statc Farmer.
1t Is only question of time when
better farming mcthods will be forced
upon the farmers Of the South. The
price Of land in this section is bound to
advance as its productive capacity and
many other advantages become better
know. Ii the present farmers retain
the ownership of their farms, larger
and more profitable crops will have 90
be G: :own, or else others will come in
and take Their places, while they will
be rclcgated to the position of wage
CarnerS.
The best intellect Of our Southland
has been directed toward the cities.
Farming is looked down upon as a
manual occupation beneath the dignity
of Southern gentleman. The negro
has been considered good enough to
gyow cotton and corn. lie did this
work in ante-bellum days, and he should
do il now. The few Southern gentle
men who tried to continue farming un-
der the new regime, but with the old
methods, have seen their lands slipping
from their grasp into that of the city
capitalist with the inevitable conclusion
on their part that the city was the
place to live and make money. The
old place was rented out to go to rack
and ruin, while the family moved to
town, often to live in extremely
Strengthened circumstances.
And so the tenant class, composed
mostly of negroes, has grown larger
and larger III the Southern States, un-
til now they compose over half our
farm population. Our agriculture
languisheS for the want of Intelligent
directing; the brains Of the South, in
stead of being used for the production
of new wealth, is applied to swapping
dollars, the changing of money from
one mans pocket to that of another.
These city people are very enthusiast.
ic when you mention agriculture. En-.
| thuSlasliC for some one else to 90 into
| il. Their heart is still with the soil, =,
but they are afraid to venture on the
land themselves. This simply illu-
stratcs their ignorance OF what intclli-
gent farming can be made to pay, and
what delightfully."- independent life it
is. If they are 50 fortunate as to make
money in The city they very often in
vest in farm near by, and hire some
ignoramus TO spend their money fol
them. Here they exploit their theories
lose their money and become more than
ever convinced that farming will not
pay.
The want OF exact knowledge Of sci.
cntific methods in farming, both with
the real and wOuld-bc tllcrs of the soil
is most dcplorable; as ls also the scar.
city of opportunity for acquiring this
knowledge.
One OF the encouraging signs Of tho
times IS that people arc beginning t(
recognize the fact that profitable farm
ing cannot be done by main strength
and stupdncss, and that requires ;
practical and scientific knowledge O
the business, the same as in other call
, ings, in order to succeed. The neces
sity for education along this line is
recognized fact, ard efforts are bcin,
made in some States to introduce tn
elementary branches Of agriculture in
TO the public schools, and laws hav
s already been passed by the Legislature
, Of several States to this effect. Hero
$ toforc the whole tendency of our schot
and college courses have been {
, educate the child away from the farl