The Savannah morning news., 1901-12-23
THE TWENTIETH CENTURY FARM.

THE TWENTIETH CENTURY FARM.
There has been marked change in
the character of the average farm in
the South during the past fifty years,
and doubtless there has been a similar
change in other sections of the country
as well. Half a century ago farming
was done in the South chiefly on huge
plantations" containing anywhere
from one hundred to a thousand or
more acres, and the head and owner
of the establishment was called a.
planter" not a farmer. 1t was the
habit of the planter to spend a few
months of each year on the plantation,
giving the rest and major portion of
his time to travel and life in the cities.
In so far as the actual direction of
the plantation was concerned, the own
er did very little of it; he was the cap
italist of the establishment and had
overseers to do the executive work.
Following the war of the sixties
there has been breaking-up of nearly
all of the old plantations into small
farms. Many of these are still tenant
farms, but the number of independently
owned farms and homesteads is con-
stantly increasing. The clearing of the
pine lands is also bringing into culti-
walton many small areas of good and
productive land, under family manage
nent. The tendency has been, and is,
away from the extensive system of
farming and towards the intensive In
stead of having a hundred or more
acres in cotton or corn and depending
upon bulk for income, the drift is to-
wards smaller areas, better cultivation
and diversified crops. Where formerly
100 acres of cotton was the standard
farm, there is now a smaller farm on
which is raised cereals, cattle, sugar
cane, vegetables, fruits, etc. The ar
ticles to meet needs OF the family are
more largely produced at home and the
surplus of the production is sent to
market. AS money crop cotton still
holds first place, of course, but the at
tention to cotton is decreasing year by
year and other and more profitable
crops are being given more space and
care.
Having in mind this evident drift
away from concentration into great
farms, and towards small farms and
diversified production. what will be the
average or model farm of the new CEN
fury? Manifestly a smaller acreage. a
more comfortable home and more prof
table acres. 1t may be that the new
standard of size will be not larger than
twenty-five to forty acres, but it will
more than abundantly meet all of the
wants of the farmer and his family.
Modern inventions have simplified and
eheapened the processes of cultivation
and harvesting. The development Of
electrical transmission has made it pos
sible for probably a majority of the
farmers to harness a water course or
erect a windmill and thus secure power
for feed-cutting, grinding grain and
other processes needing power. Tele-
phones have been so cheapened that
they are going into rural communities
and annihilating time and distance in
so far as exchanging information is
concerned. Good roads are being built
throughout the country. These will
make transportation to the markets
easy, and assure comfortable and con-
venient passage from the farm to the
school and the church. Thus the iso-
lation of farm life is rapidly becoming
thing of the past. Trolley railways
are being pushed further and further
into the country districts from the
cities, aiding vastly in the develop
ment of the sections which they tap.
Travelling Libraries are being establish
ed in suburban districts, and mail car
riers are delivering letters at the doors
Of farm houses. Some of these schemes.
Of course, have not yet been brought
to perfection. but they will be extended
and perfected.
All things considered, therefore, it
appears that the brighter day of the
agricultural community is dawning
and that before the halfway mark Of
the new century has been reached the
small farmers will be among the most
comfortably fixed and independent peo-
pie in the world.