St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1901-04-20
FARMER AND PLANTER.
FAREWELL TO WINTER.
Timely Adnonitlon - Farmers In
Regard to Operations for the
Season New Degun.

Winter-December, January, Febru-
ary, has passed into the great eterri-
ty behind. Here is spring. The an.
nual period of rest is over. Nature
enforces rest on all the vegetable ana
much animal life. 1t il recuperatise
rest. From it everything comes forth
with renewed power. a z-fs ~sa
So we should rest end recuperate.
II we have used the winter months
Alright, we come forth wiser than
ever. We have lad time to reflect,
digest, assimilate the lessons of past
experience. We have had time to see
where we have been wrong and how
to do better in the future. We have
had time to read and lay in store les
sons OF wisdom from experience of
others. We hope much has been ac-
complished along these lines. Where
We have failed let US fail no more.
Where we have succeeded let us sue
coed all the more.
Now, SHOWS and billiards. end
freezes and frosts are gone, windy
March comes and shakes the great
oaks and tiny shrubs, loosening the
bark, and stirring the roots, and thus
helping to start anew the flow of sap
that brings life and growth.
These winds purify the oceans Of
air. They mingle anew the elements
of life and bear away the germs of
disease. They IRE purifying, life-in-
spring as well as dust-raising. They
create partial vacuums and such in
with an irresistible power the dead
and fostering miaslns of the decay
ing world, and lelp to life the sap of
life from the earth to the tree tops.
Welcome then to the March winds.
The days are longer. the nights ere
shorter. The suns rays are more di-
rect. The power OF heat-nature's
great, irresistible dynamo-is felt by
everything. But this spring-time
means more to the farmer than to
others. To him it is the seed-time.
HE that soweth not neither shall
he reap" what a nan soweth that
shall he also reap" While the earth
remaineth, seed-time and harvest
shall succeed each other. The seed
time must go before. We must plant
or we can not gather.
The important question is what
shall we plant? Never before in our
history has this been SO important
question. Never did so much depend
upon it's right to answer.
First plant largely Of provision
crops. This will keep you from 60
ing in debt. Debt ruins more farmers
than all other causes put together.
Do not buy anything that you can eat
or feed, if it will grow on your farm.
Plant largely Of corn. Plant Irish po-
tatoes, cabbage, turnips. peas, pinders.
melons, sweet potatoes, beans. beets
and so on. Plant every vegetable you
can eat. A small piece of ground will
supply any ordinary family.
Plant forage crops. corn, millct,
sorghum, lucerne, anything to feed
with, or make hay and silage.
If you plant you may have plenty.
But If you do not plant you can not.
Then plant cotton. 1t will not hurt
you 10 make COtlOu IL ~ 10 yOoA Wv
ton when it is made. Do not count
on high prices to remain. If we make
large crops the price will 60 down.
If we fail again you will be all the
better of, because you have plenty Of
supplies.
There IL nothing new in this advice,
but there is much that is important.
We say this because we see that farm
ers are buying corn, meat, hay, mules,
wagons, and everything else. Here is
where the farm money goes. IT kept
at home we would soon have homes
of beauty and plenty and happiness.
Plant wisely now and you can hope
to reap beautifully at harvest time
Southern Cultivatcr.