The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1901-05-07
Agriculture.
LARGE VS.. SMALL FARMS.

the First.
,,-raspondence Of The Progressive Farmer.
tn further advocate the methods
# farming which have placed my
native county among the first, if
mot the first, in the State in regard
n rractical farming and other mat
tors. will again write a short ar
scIe for The Progressive armer.
Nv friend, Mr.. Gates, says he agrees
with me in regard to raising two
bales to the acre; and am glad to
taIl him that the small farmers of
Mecklenburg are securing larger
Yields per acre than the large land
owners. .....
Mr.. Gates certainly does not speak
we'll for the fertility of his county
when he says many of the small
farmers are leaving their farms and
going to the factories. But let us
look at the reasons() he gives for
their leaving. He says that a com
mon cause exists for renter as we'll
ss the small land owner. Right
here, let me say that there are some
men trying to farm who were not at
all cut out for this ocoupation). AS
to the first two reasons he gives, /
kave nothing to say +; they relate to
the pecuniary condition of the indi-
vidual. But he gives as his main
reason the fact that they have to
RELY upon themselves for the plan
ming, experimenting, and the carry
ing on OF the work. This, if true, is
d great drawback. But, if the land
owning farmer is not capable of be-
ing relied upon to do these things,
then indeed it is high time for him
to sell out and go to the factory or
some other sea port town cup Salt
River"
once heard a young farmer say
to an older one who ran two or
three horse farm 81 could not make
living on a two-horse farm. /
would starve. Just give me an eight
or ten horse farm" This 1 suppose
he has. At any rate heard that
this large farmer had gone to the
small farmer this spring to buy inn
proved cotton seed.
Again Mr.. Gates informs Us that
this Is free country. Yes, we are
free, and if we wish to remain so we
must oppose these great centraliza-
tions OF land which tends TO land
lOrdism, almost slavery and aris-
tOcracy and peasantry. Under Mr..
Gates plan who will be the aristO--
crat and who the peasant? Who the
boss and who the subject? Who the
landlord and who the renter?
Mr.. Gates is right when he says
that there is in this State land
enough now almost deserted to more
than double the agricultural output,
if properly and economically Guilt
vated. [ don't know how it Is In
Alamance, but down here in Meek
lenburg those terms properly and
economically cultivated are synony-
nous with small farms. But where
do we find this ''almost deserted .
land: Almost exclusively on the
large furms. Near home there are
several farms that we're at one time,
not far back, part of one big farm.
Anu the present owner of this once
large farm now makes about as much
clear as was formerly done on the
Whole plantation. And here are IA
Or 10 different farms of an average
OF Is acres, affording a home and
good support for so many prosper
Gus farmers. Don't you see the con-
Fast: Are you ready to see the
small farms all over the State
Oanched into few farms? DO you
mink 1t would be best for our coun-
uy, our land and our welfare to do
suiS: Are you willing to sell your
hundred acres to the large farmer
alu rent 1t back and work it accord
ulg TO the dictates of his conscience?
VI perhaps you want to be the land
'O'u' Ike some l have heard of !, if
~ ~, Oe sure you are able to foot the
speaking of employing scientific
VI II TO superintend our farms, is not
=. 'A5oFy Of mine. 1t belongs TO
0Nu Gates. said let US be our
"n head man. If man is not
t,sS 1o'e OF experimenting his. oYh \
NJ W. ara work, then he is at the /.
us door. Do the men of, amt