The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1901-09-24
A 'iCulture.
4H FARMERS.

SOu6 pOOp4O LII OAG great 4dnu al
preciate and respect the farmer, but
there are yet very many who do not
respect him or his vocation, not
realizing that they are only few
months from starvation and that the
noble farmer thrusts himself between
these who lightly esteem him and
their certain destiny were he not TO
stem the many disasters and provide
for the physical needs of the other
wise helpless millions.
We have often heard of local dis
asters, some East, some West, some
North, and some South, but we do
not remember the year that has
brought to the farmer more disas-
ters than this year of grace 1901.
They have occurred in the mountains
and on the coasts East, West, North
and South, almost over our whole
land we hear of disasters by flood,
hail and wind, and occasionally all
combined, and yet with these trials
and losses confronting him the far
mer generally is still on his feet and
pushing on his work of feeding the
hungry millions. What a noble place
he fills and how bravely he stems
the disasters as they pass upon him
Surely the farmer deserves the re-
spect and commentator of the world
about him.
But there is one duty to himself
and his fellow-farmer that he seems
to forget largely; he seems TO think
that he is little world TO himself
and forgets Romans 14:7. The
greatest duty and highest privilege
of the farmer just at this time is OR
GANIzATIoN. How can we live as q
craft much longer without thorough
organization, when the men in every
department around us are thorough
ly organized to handle all our sur
plus, and leave US no voice in our
own productions? A few men pro
pose TO say to us what we may have
for our cotton seed. Surely if we
were organized as they are we would
say to them just what they could
have them for; and not our cotton
seed only, but cotton and every other
, surplus product which we have TO
dispose of. Some of us can look
back with thankful hearts to the
lesson farmers organization taught
that great cotton bagging trust, and
we ought TO look forward with ear
nestness and determination to per-
lection of the very best plan by
which we can attend to our own
affairs without having others dictate
TO us how little we may have after
we have done the work.
Brethren, why not put our heads
together and effect such an organiza-
ton as will stand and help Us to
rightly use the privileges of our
noble occupation? We can enjoy
more of the blessings kind Provi-
denoe has put along life's journey
than any other occupation known.
We are in closer communication
with the works of nature than it is
possible for others to be. If we will
we can study those laws which en-
able us to enjoy TO greater degree
the development of those things
which sustain life. There are really
less temptations to evil in we'll
directed community of farmers than
with the same numbers of any other
occupation.
We are, if we so desire, more closely
allied in our work to the great Giver
of all blessing as we study the soil
and it's needs, and then by supplying
those needs in the proportion our
plants draw from the soil; we drop
the living seed into the earth and
watch for development until we see
she blade, the stalk and the full ear
If corn. Who can study these things
without growing wiser, better and
happier, and surely so when the heat
ard burden of cultivating is over
and we shout Harvest Home" and
see enough garnered for man and
beast and some scattered about In
the fields for the dear little birds
that so kindly catch the bugs and
worms that come to destroy our ten
der crops; and then as the long
nights come we sit around the blaz-
ing fire in the old homestead, and
with gratitude to our kind Father