The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1901-05-18
FARMER AND PLANTER.
sEAsoNABLE SUGGESTIONS.


WHAT u man SOWetns' t0dt SudH nc
also reap" This looks SO plain it
seems almost silly to repeat it. Yet a
little observation shows that very few
fully comprehend its force. Applied
to the farmer, it means that he must
plant the seed that he wishes to reap.
But this is not all ii means. If he
plants more than he can cultivate,
he can not reasonably expect
to gather full crop, because he will
be compelled to neglect some part of
it. Generally he gets to feeling
pushed. He sees several things need
ing attention at the same time; is
apt to do little of each one, and
thus poor work to all. The result
will be that all the crops will suffer
and none will make full crop. Each
will fail to make what it ought, and
taken altogether will sum up con-
siderable loss. Over planting is very
common cause of failure in farming.
The farmer who could have worked
20 acres well and have made good
profit from it, plants 30, slurs over it
all, runs up heavy expense accounts,
gathers. short crop, comes out in
debt, and joins the great class of
grumblers.
We feel deeply on this point. We
see it in object lessons before us SO
often. Better cut down the acres and
run up the profits. There is q fixed
cost attached to the cultivation of an
acre, whether it yields much or little.
The more acres you plant, the larger
this item will be. If the crops fall be-
low that yield, then there will be \
loss upon that years work. Very
many farmers plant so much to the
horse or mule, regardless of the ca
pacity of the land or the horse. We
urge all farmers to consider well how.
much they can prepare thoroughly
fertilize properly and work promptly.
This may start you on the road to
prosperity.
This anxiety to plant large areas
leads thousands into making debts
which they can never pay. They buy
more fertilizers then more provisions,
then more wages, and SO on and on.
Once in debt the temptation grows to
go in deeper and deeper.
Another important point is what
crop will it pay best to plant. If you
do not understand the cultivation of
any crop it is great risk to plant
that crop just because somebody had
made success with it. The man who
knows nothing of tobacco culture
will not be apt to make money grow
ing tobacco. The farmer who knows
nothing about clover will be apt to
fail in growing clover. Plant the
crops you understand.
Again you may know how to grow
a certain crop, and not overplant and
reap fine yield. but may not have
a good market near or convenient to
ship to. Plant what you can sell.
Very few are so situated that they
can depend on a single crop. Farms
are adapted to many different plants,
and seasons and markets are quite
changeable. So a sensible plan will
include several crops differing in
character and earning capacity. As
the family expenses are the first item
on every. farm, those things which the
family consumes should always be
grown at home, if at all practicable.
If this is done the expense account will
be so cut down that it will be easy
to have surplus at the seasons end.
Hence we sum up by saying, plant
variety for home consumption, and
the crops you know best for markell
ing. Then plant only what you can
make profitable by fertilizing highly
and working thoroughly. Phosphate
and potash will never fail to pay upon
a crop we'll cultivated.
Now is the time to plan well and
plant wisely.-James B. Hunnicutt,