The Atlanta constitution., 1900-01-15
FARMERS PULL TOGETHER.
MEETING OF FARMERS IN La
GRANGE ON TUESDAY.
There Were No Big Speeches, but
Resolutions for Decrease of
Acreage Were Passed.

Lagrange. Ga. January 5.-(Special)-
A. tie meeting OF farmers held in the
courthouse Tuesday at noon W. T. God
win. who sent out the call. was mads
chairman and presided throughout the
body's deliberations.
No big speeches or addresses were
made. but quite a number OF farmers.
men who handle the plow and the hoe.
made talks, gave their experiences. told
the results of their experiments. their
successes and their failures. and freely
expressed their opinions of the fertilizer
combine and declared their intention.
81 me not TO buy at all. and others TO
use little possible OF commercial
fertilizers.
Judge +. NJ Longley. who IS one OF
the most successful farmers in the coun-
ty. offered the following preamble and
resolutions. which were unanimously
adopted:
AT meeting OF farmers. merchants
and bankers Of Troup county on the Ist
OF September. Il was resolved that the
Present cotton crop should be held by
them for cents, and their action WAS
adopted generally throughout the country
end as Il result u steady advance at cncc
set in until the figure named has nearly
been reached. But for this determined
resistance New York and Liverpool
would. in all probability. have held the
price down to cents. In spite of class
legislation against him and combinations
of capital fattening on his toll. ,he
southern farmer, by the most rigorous
pinching economy. has reached a point
where ne can stoutly declare his inde-
pendence. To maintain this, however,
will require unity OF purpose and concert
of action; perpetual vigilance and un-
swervinS resolve to insist on his rights.
This is an auspicious time to consider
certain matters which lie out before US.
We have no power to curtail the cotton
crop, but we can and do appeal to the
common sense OF our southern farmers
to unite with US In a reduction of the
aera. The acreage for 1898 was about
q, zoe COO In 1899 the acreage was about
2S.Ooo,o00 What shall it be in 1900?
More wheat and oats have been sown
than perhaps in any one season in thir
ty years, which will reduce the cotton
acreage considerably. Now. 10000 600
acre crop should yield, say S.0Oo.O00 bales.
and easily bring 10 cents. or 500. o1o.eo1
while a 25Oeo. .oOO-acre crop Will be about
IL O0o0o0 baeS at cents. or 900
To say nothing of the extra labor ana
expense. here is a loss of at least VIZ
GOeOOO WHAT shall the harvest be? Tn
der the CALLING gold standard the cotton
growers must curtail this crop. increase
corn. raise more hogs. plant old worn
out lands IN bermuda. increase the nerds
of cattle sheep and goats. Let our fu-
ture be projected along these lines and
this goodly land which the Lord has
given us Will n,n smile S;ch With plenty dssyys vor
consideration is the trust conspiracy.
which has encircled within its iron grasp
the fertilizer companies throughout the
country for the sole purpose of advanc-
ing prices beyond real value as COM
pared with farm products. This com
bine should be met and crushed just as
the bagging and tie trusts were sub
dued a few years ago. Let the high
nriced fertilizers severely alone using in
Stead cotton seed. stable manure. etc
Deep blowing and wise agriculture is
Gods appointed method. FOR He has dis
tribu;ed plant food in the earth so mu-
nifiicently as not to require its transpor-
ration from other countries: therefore.
be II
county make public this declaration that
they will not buy fertilizers for this year
al the advanced price of the trust now
ha andling these commercial manureS and
they call on the farmers Of the south