The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1904-02-27
FARMERAND PLANTER
THE YEAR AND ITS WORK.
The Lessons Learned In the Year
That Has Passed and Their
Application to 1904.

The old year of 1903 has passed ava
never to return. 1t is now part of tn
eternity behind us. We only pass alon
the journey of life once. What is don
Is done, and can not be undone.
In many respects 1903 was a very re
markable year. The weather was un
common. The seasons were extreme
There wa but little time in the frs
half of the year for work to be properl,
lone. Very many plans failed because
: Of the weather. But through all th'
mishaps a fair measure of success can'
to the w~ide-awake farmer. Many les
sons may be drawn from our last year'i
experience which will be very valuable
In the future.
The first lesson we wish to call atten.
ticn TO is the difference between TEN.
porizing and planning. The man who
never plans, but waits for the emergen-
cy to come and then tries to meet it,
did not succeed last year. He was not
equal to the emergency, But the man
who looked ahead and planned wisely
hnds that he is amply repaid for the
trouble and cost of looking ahead.
PoOrly-prepared land, scratched three
inches or not plowed at all, failed to
make crops such as would pay. Many
did not get more than three and four
bales of cotton for each plow. But the
,and that had been well and deeply
prepared was ready TO handle the ex-
cess of water, and hence made good
crops.
We know Of one acre that made about
two bales, while near it there were
fields that did not make more than one
sixth of a bale per acre. We know OF
a small farmer who made 16 bales on
20 acres. while some OF his neighbors
got three bales from 20 acres. The land
was the same quality hut the farming
was not. 1t pays to look ahead and
prepare our land for any kind Of sea-
son that may come.
We know of a man VINO lends money
to farmers. He watched his customers
and inquired of them about their farm
ing. He found that all of those who
had plowed deep and SUBSIDIZED, had
made good crops and paid him prompt
ly and cheerfully, while those who went
on in the old way could not pay up,
and were not cheerful.
These instances are selected from
hundreds that we have knowledge of,
aud from different sections and very
different soils. The result is the same
in all sections and on all kinds of soil.
Of course there are a few exceptions,
but whenever we had an opportunity
to examine we have had a good reason
for the exception. Tho rule stands:
Deep fall plowIng pays.
We are very often met by the asser-
ton that we car not 1nd time to do
deep fall blowing. The cotton is !
on hand TO be picked, and labor Is l
scarce. Again they say we could not e.
do this deep blowing because the cot /
ton was on the land, and it was too
late before it was all picked. These
seem to be very real difficulties. But
wish to say that neither Of these is S
/ good objection, If you plan well, S
on will always have part of your farm Il
condition for fall blowing. Either v
he small grain stubble or the land b
rom which you have cut your corn C
or both, will be ready for the n
low. AS to the team while the cot s
on is being picked, the teams will be n
die, and all that is neeGed is to get W
hand to drive them. There is almost n
ways some very slow picker at hand h
Tho car make a good plowman. Think g,
nd plan, and you will find that 1t can @,
e done. Here as elsewhere, Where n,
here is a will, there is c way" fe
But back Of all this and more i'm f.
ortant. Is the fact that we plan to ar
lake everything subservient to the ri
)tton crop. This Is the present error. n,
'e plant too large a part Of the farm oo
cotton. This is not necessary, nor ba
it profitable. A smaller number of GU
;res, better prepared and cultivated, 20
i'll yield as many bales and cost less, Ill
I'd leave us more independent to man va
ye the rest Of the farm. nr
Another great lesson from 1903 is ~.
we are no longer dependent en- 60
rely upon cotton for a money crop. H.
very kind of farm produce has
fine prices, and furnished
ady money at all seasons of the year.
need not trade on account and =
We mortgages on crop and farm to try
our debts. A few acres devoted thi
a few OF me many truck and fruit The
ops will pay our bills as we 60. 50
ten they will leave a surplus. for
In raising these crops we raise much scr
at is needed to support our families, fee
d thus greatly reduce the need for 1ni
ying, so that we often find that as
learn to sell more, we need to buy till
8. wes
The old year winds up pretty we'll. as
ly those who staked everything up
cotton and failed to make it are in sho
uble. So the lesson to learn is atec
crops which mature early and do Sta
require so much work or expense 1874
cotton. Study to have them follow
h other SO as not to cvercrowd you his
h work. BY doing this and using thre
nure and fertilizers freely and all his
DIS of improved implements, we can in t
Ike money with a few laborers and or u
J worry?
he outlook for 904 in indeed bright. duri
outhern Cultiyator. emo,