Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-02-13
WHAT'S THE TROUBLE
WITH THE FARMER
To The Editor of The Journal:

10 the EDITOR OF lmG JohA
CAMILLA, Ca. Feb. 11.-One of Camil-
las citizens who moved from more
northern county this winter, said the other
day: ''Why. Mitchell county is the latest
county in Georgia. Here the people are
all farmers and corn, oats, cows, hogs,
syrup and potatoes seem to be abundant.
These things are not lacking, but the
truth is. the farmers have very little
money now.
The explanation of it is a short cotton
crop and a very moderate price, but chief
ly because the last cotton crop cost Just
about two prices 10 make 1t. the colo
spring and extremely wet summer put
the cotton crop down this way in des-
perate condition, and it cost an immense
amount of labor to pull through.
The present outlook is that there will
be in this latitude some reduction of the
| acreage of cotton, and more and more at
tention will be paid to hay, hogs and
hominy Moving machines are getting to
be more common. and prudent farmers
will diversity. This is a melon county,
but heavy freights and rushing green
melons to market killed this business
years ago.
But the sad truth is that many farmers.
perhaps the majority, find themselves in
no condition to raise anything for sale
except cotton. Some have the necessary
capital and the enterprise and judgment
10 use II III NANNiElAANA AoAA AhAA5' A " ~
able to go into the stock or any new bust
ness Many are renters. 1t takes nothing
but piece of land and mule or an OK
to go into the cotton business. Some mer-
chant will take a mortgage and furnish
the rest This whole cotton country Is
covered with people who are going to
raise cotton even IL ii goes down to
cents The large landholders mostly farm
on shares when they do not rent, and 1t
has been found futile to undertake any
thing with much OF the negro labor but
cotton, and here we are. Cotton will be
planted and enough of it worked, with
good seasons. to run down the price. We
have millions of negroes. and southern
farmers must face the fact that this
means millions upon millions of bales of
cotton. Very few of them have any en-
terprise or ambition.
Then. we have to. remember down here
that corn, IL thrown on the market dur
ing the winter. rarely brings more than
so or 40 cents. This is a sugar cane county,
but syrup. as it is usually brought to mar
ket in barrels. rarely brings more than 20
cents Hogs are always cheap i'm this Sec
ton. Oats rarely bring much ready money,
and the crop will be very short this year
on account of very thin stands and the
high price of seed.
The writer is veteran farmer himself.
and therefore doesn't know how to advise
other farmers. He doesn't know how to
advise himself; but he can give informa-
ton. We may as we'll begin the year face
to face with the fact that guano will be
bought and cotton planted. If we can af-
ford TO raise it for or cents, or less,
we may go ahead.
In conclusion. let me beg our city and
town friends TO remember that somehow
cotton-growing is the easiest business in
the world. A fool or a drone can raise a
little. and as there are millions of fools
and drones. look out for cotton. 1t is the
only business that allows the bulk of the
laborers. white and black. to go fishing
much, or to spend Saturday in town. The
greater part Of the labor of this section is
going to be absolutely idle during one
sixth of the time that the law of nature
has fixed for work.
Going to town on Saturday. is now a
conspicuous habit of many of the country
white people while 1t is a very big part
Of the religion Of nearly all the negroes.
This knocking off" on Saturday and at
tending all-night, never-ending protracted
meetings throughout the summer are far
more sacredly observed by the negroes
than the God-given law Of six days work
and one day of rest Cotton is the only
thing that will tolerate in the least the
up-to-date folly and sin of defying ma
lures law Numbered from Sinai. Five
days work will keep any people poor any,
where, and when farming has TO depend
upon this sort of labor for the most part.
It will be crippled farming. Poor people
and crippled farmers will plant cotton
whether there is any profit in 1t or not.
1t will somehow furnish the scanty living
that satisfies this large Saturday town
going population. Diversified farming re-
| quires close attention and prompt, ener-
getic work. These diversified farmers i'm
this section are making money somehow,
and will continue to make Il. But the
question is. how many diversified farms
are we going to have under present con-
| ditious?
]. L. UNDERWOOD.