The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1900-12-05


Now in order to do this we must pre-
pare our lands so that. the excessive
rains will not wash away the soil or
leach the fertility therefrom.
In the Atlanta Constitution an arti-
Gle written by Col. r. ]. Reding, than
whom there is no better authority on
farming in the South, says that to pro-
tect our farms from the excessive
rains it is necessary to terrace, and by
having the terrace lines on level and
blowing in the fall thorough and deep
that we store the excessive moisture
for the use of the growing crops dur
ing the dry weather which usually
comes late in the spring. And this is
not the only advantage of terracing
on dead level, for when more water
falls than the soil can absorb, instead
of collecting in some low place and
washing a gully it moves in a broad
thin sheet downward until the next
terrace is reached, thus preventing the
washing of the soil.
Now the second thing to be consid-
cred is the growing of legume, such
as clover, vetches and the COW pea,
that has been called the clover of the
South, for by their wonderful rower
they are enabled to take the free nitro
gen from the air, and while the vines
may be moved for hay the roots and
leaves left in the soil make it more
fertile than before it grew thereon.
Now it is just here that the saliva
ton of the cotton raiser will come, for
they are beginning to realize that it
is unsafe to risk cotton alone and are
looking for something to diversity
with, and by system of small grain
followed by cow peas moved for hay
feed, to beef cattle and mich cows,
their profit will be increased, at least
one hundred per cent.
Now, Bro. Farmer, just stop for
one minute and let us reason together.
On the same acre of land that you have
been raising one-half of one bale Of
cotton, you can raise thirty bushels Of
oats and after the oats, sow COW peas,
from which you will NOW more than
one ton of hay. We will take the little
farmer who plants twenty acres in cot
ton as an example. If he should cut
his cotton crop down by half and have
ten acres in oats and peas, this fed to
his herd of milch COWS in conjunction
with the care they already get, the in
crease of butter sold on the market
and the milk fed to the growing pigs,
and the increase of his cattle sold as
beef;-well, we will just wait and ask
the farmer to take in consideration the
expense and labor in each case and
calculate for himself as to the differ
ence in profits. Nor is this half of
what he will realize in the clear profits,
for it has been demonstrated by expe-
rience and analysis that at least eighty
per cent. of the fertility contained in
the feed fed to stock is returned to
the soil in the manure. Now if the
fertilizers from the "barn yard" are
distributed ON the other ten acres that
we have just been speaking of, the
farmer will raise more cotton on ten
than he had previously been raising
on twenty acres. will ask the reader
to pardon me for referring to myself,
but | wish to allude to my own expe-
rience as proof to the above assertion.
On land that was capable of produc-
ing one thousand pounds of seed cot
ton under the old system of shallow
blowing and light fertilizing, in the
early spring of 1899, plowed deep and
applied about 200 bushels of barn yard
manure and 400 pounds of commercial
fertilizer on one acre, and from that
one acre l gathered thirty-three hun
bred and eighty seven 1887 pounds of
seed cotton-a net increase of 23OO
pounds of seed cotton for an expendi-
ture of about nine dollars, valuing the
OuC PCi WI. -No" eAc
the price of cotton and seed at that
time seed cotton was worth 21s cents
per pound; net profit of s4s.5O for
5000 expended.
Now what l did others can do and
even a great deal more, and with
more cotton raised on half the
land, and chickens. eggs, butter,
pork and beef to sell at all times of the
year to buy home necessities and the
credit system thing Of the past, farm
ers will be more contented, make home
more pleasant, educate their sons and
daughters, and no longer will the
young men and women leave the farm
to seek employment in town, but will
be contented to follow the time-hon-
ored avocation Of the farm. And
quickly will the South step to the
front ranks in progress, and become
section of happy and contented people
and the garden spot of the world.
Il. j. WILLS.
Lincoln County, Miss.