The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1900-07-03
BY I. H. JORDAN

1t is far more plc2Sing 10 the earn
est ard sincere agricultural writer =
commend the efforts of the people
with whom he has ce~t his lot and
with whom he has Occupied an adsiS-
Cry TCs:tion tan 10 II" forced into
an attitude of fault finding. have
>triNcn hard during the past eighteen
months the lc1iod OF time covering
my short newspaper career. to study
the conditions which confront ns
from an agricultural standpoint, glN-
ing to my readers the result Of my
Investigations in the chosen field Of
bN lahorS. Without condcmning the
systems and methods Of farming pur-
sued bv many. with Whom ! dis greed
in my private views, sougpht 10 di-
rect attention to practical truths and
thereby gradually exercise an lniiu-
cncc which believed in the direction
Of a higher. better and more advanced
stage of agriculture. My greatest
desire in this life to see the farmers
Of the South pursuing system Of az
| riculturc which Will Yield 10 them
| each year Il full harvest of happiness
and pro>eprity. If any effort winch
have made in the past or will make IN
! the future contributes to the reaii-
| zation Of that happy state Of affairs.
it will be the most gratifying cnd
| of all | have hoped to accomplish.
! believe there is no higher or nObler
| cause to which any man can devote
! his life work than aiding in the de
| velOBment of the great agricultural
interests of this country. Particulars
! " is this true of the South. where
the stability and progress OF our
whole people depend 50 largely upon
! the success of our rural population.
Yet no people of the Union have SUI
! fered more in the past forty years
! than our Southern farmers. and non"
! more fully deserve an era Of prosper
ity than they. They have suffered the
demoralizing and devastating effects
of terrible civil war, and without
money or help from any source cN-
cept the natural gift of climate. soil
and chiyalrous manhood. have strug-
glcd in the great fight for commercial
freedom. with the whole world band
ed against them.
PROGRESS MADE.
Yet in the face of almost insur-
mOuntable obstacles. with no reSoHr-
ceS beyond their energies and ahlitN
to depend upon the farmers Of the
South are each year adding page OF
progress to the history of our agrI-
cultural evolution. If their travel
along the highway Of inviting indie
pendence has been slow TO them. yet
has il not commanded the surprise,
the admiration and respect of all ma
tions who are familiar With our his
, tory? The North and West. those
sections Of great commerce ana
| wealth. cannot fairly be used IN gust
comparison here. 1t is true climate
is against the Northern farmer. and
it is harder to make a living there
but he is surrounded by wealth and
a dense population centered in IN
Vulnerable cities closely located to-
uethcr. who give a tremendous local
. demand for the food products OF Their
farms. There are located immense
| granarics at needed points, into which
, the wheat and corn of the \orthweS-
tern farmers can be stored. receipts
, issued for borrowing mone%. and the
owner can hold his products until sat
; isfactOry prices are offered. There
has been no check to the farming IN
, duStry of the United States north OF
the Mason ond Dixon line. while emi-
: SrdTlOn 1Of the past III! Years HdN
poured into that country unchecked
: carving renewed muscle and money
to help in the rapid agricultural and
I industrial development Of that section
of the Union. The South. on the 9th
er hand. has as yet received but IIttlt
: or no help from foreign dabor in hcr
fields: she has increased her pOpula
ton only through the natural re-
| sources at her command. which has
largely kept the pure Southern race il
tact The labor of the South has
, grown harder to control each sue
! ceeding year. because education dnc
equality of civil rights under the Fed
: eraI constitution has had q tendcnc
to ruin and demoralize an otherwise
: first-class field hand from the negro
> race. But with all of her misfortunes
: ! and trials Of every kind. Southern ag
! riculture is progressing. and viii
> within the next quarter OF Gentry
, stand where she did fifty years ago
second to no other territory Of our
: great nation.
II rrJJpIIrrT