Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1901-04-11
How To InpI1Te
Worm Land.


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22na and a3x1I 1901.
Mr.. CAairman, La9ies and Gsn-
t'emsa :-Wheu the Direcsor 81
Farmsrs Instilntes ~<ots 10 me re-
!questing that I read paper On the
Best Mesk Improving worn
out Land il Southern Maryland, I
took great pleasure In accepting the
invitation, realizing that there is
no one thing that 90 retards the
progress Of our people as the con-
dition Of the greater part of the soil
in the lower counties Of the State.
| will begin BY asking the question.
What is the condition of land with
as down here? This can be safely
answered BY saying two-thirds Of
what 10 now being annually worked
will not pay the cost Of cultivation.
On every farm there, are few acres
that are usually selected for little
tobacco crop, upon which ell the
home made msnures are put, that
scarcely produce enough to pay the
guano bill, taxes, and the cost of till
ing the balance of the farm. IL you
think ! am not right in this state
ment, ask the tax collectors of st.
Maryss county how many Of us have
failed to meet these bills, ask the
families what luxuries they have
enjoyed, or how muchIis lacking Of
even the necessaries Of life, ask the
farmer himself. after the expense
OF making the crop 10 deducted. il
ne has left for his labor the wages
OF an ordinary hireling, or 90 IL you
like to cross-road store on Satur-
day afternoon and see the sunburnt,
weather beaten, hardy sons Of toll
with their little baskets Of eggs that
should be retained at home for the
use Of the family. exchanged for Q
little sugar, tea, 'fat-back and coal
oil for their weeks supply, and this
must be doled out with q sparing
hand.
Unfortunately this winter even
the chicken hens seem TO have
formed q collusion with the trust,
thereby giving as q smaller guam
tity than usual Of their fruit. Why
does this state of affairs exist? We
are promised in Holy Writ that
seed time and harvest shall never
fail u.s. Persons engaged in some
lucrative business tell us that what
We need to overcome all obstacles 10
system Of bookkeeping showing
every transaction on the farm and
il merchant were to conduct his
business in the same careless man.
ner as the farmer, he would be COM
PEELED to close his house within
thirty days. To my mind this lack
OF book entries is our only safe
guard, for the spectacle at the end
of the year would be lsmentable in
deed, and sufficient to run one crazy
after be has kept q strict account
OF his parsimonious dealing in black
strap, plow points, shuck collars, q
suit Of blue overalls and other in
Vulnerable Insignificant items on
the one side, and then what (! o
What has he to enter on the other,
one or two hogsheads of black to-
bacco and that sold for about two
cents per pound, hardly sufficient
to cover his tax bill. leaving the
whole years dealings to be paid for
with eggs, a. / have before stated
supplemented by perhaps Q few rab-
bit skins and not corn enough in
she crib to last through March. On
the credit side may also be added
one or two razor-back pine-rooters.
! have lot drawn this picture in q
spirit Of fun making, bat l have
only stated facts ss they exist and
who can deny them? Others have
advised diversified farming but this
is equally Intellectual so long az the
soil remains in the same depleted
condition. / have nsver seen any.
thing that would grow upon such
lands except pine bushes and deep
gullies, and still others think that
Q panaces can De found in giving
more attention to the kind Of to-
bacco grown, bat it il idle talk to
speak of producing anything good
on poor quality or barren wastes
and washed out bill sides. The
farmer that continues from yesr to