The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1904-10-15
FARMER AND PLANTER.
THE SOUTHERN FARMER.
me Future Prosperity 0f the south-
ern Agrfculturist Depends ON
scAentEflc Farming.

land OF Dixie to-day. there is none
with more promising future than
that OF agriculture.
Tie southern farmer stands to-day
with the bare soil as his capital, an
invincible power confronting the enor-
nous wealth and shewd schemes of the
merchant and SPECTATOR.
With his knowledge of agriculture
as science and the opportunity Of
gaining the choicest advice from the
many agricultural institutions and
| publishing firms throughout the land;
with the invaluable help of the many
labor-saving machines continually on
the market, and other great adVan-
tages which he possesses, he is en-
ab.ad TO stand firm and face great OBJ
stacles. The foundations Of his pow
er are impregnable, even though they
may sustain the most impetuous as
saults from the hands of his great OPP
ponents
do not say enemy, for who could
tains their very life, that gives them
health and vigor, that supplies the very
energy with which they make their
jealous opposition? But do they
really oppose agriculture? All no! their
jealous efforts to check the prosperity
of this great pursuit. is but the blind
desire to advance their own selfish in
terests and expand their great fortunes
accumulated at the loss of the farmer.
These men know that we're they to
oppose agriculture successfully, and
dissolve that great institution. before
many years had elapsed, grass would
carpet" the streets of our largest cities.
The great tide of traffic would retreat
to it's lowest ebb and finally cease en-
tirely. The whole land would soon be
rendered desert of waste, or / may
more properly say, an endless and I'M
broken forest.
But we need not fear such a calamity
Detailing the human race, for were 1t
even threatened every hand would be
extended to avert it and agriculture
would rise to higher plane, than it
had ever attained before. Thus it is
proved that those who are apparently
the greatest opponents Of agricultural
prosperity, are it's strongest advo-
Gates Although the cotton buyer may
| decrease the price of cotton for a Pc
riod, still he must sooner or later al
low it to rise to serve his own inter-
ests, and when the price is thus made
the buyer, the shrewd agriculturists
will rush their cotton to market and
then to use a common phrase, will be
caught in his own trap" But it is inn
possible for cotton to remain at a low
value for any lengthy period, for the
world must be clothed and the popula-
ton is every day increasing, and this
increases the demand. AS the demand
increases, the agriculturist is urged to
greater efforts, and he calls for high
er prices, which must be given.
In this way by the rules of traffic,
the farmers prosperity becomes great
er with each revolution OF the great
| wheel of time. The clouds may gather
upon the horizon, but fear not, for
every cloud has its silver lining" and
his is especially true with the farmer.
Opinions differ as to the price of cot
ton in the coming season. The esti-
nations of some are very high, while
the estimations of others are very low.
| The authors opinion is that the latter
is more probable for, excepting a few
farms, the whole south will be plant
ed in cotton this season and the mar
/ ket will be glutted, decreasing the val
ue very greatly. But as has been said
above, cotton can not fall to very low
price, for the demand is TOO great.
If all the cotton is rushed to mar
ket in bulk the price will fall to a
parallel with the cost of culture; but
if the supply is equal from beginning
to end of season the demand will be
continuous and cotton will hold a
price that will realize the planter very
fair profits. Even if the profits be but
/ average, the great quantity planted
will be sure to bear enough to yield
the planter a sum that will lay the
foundation of fortune.
This will induce more Of our south
ern youths to follow this choice pur-
/ suit And what better occupation can
the southern youth desire than agri-
culture9
one could desire Of preparing himself?
The youth of this generation who ex-
poets to pursue agriculture as a life
work does not prepare himself as did
the youth of the last generation. Now
| they take their course Of Study like the
lawyer or physician, they study their
pursuit as science; then, they simply
acquainted themselves with the rules
1 of manual labor, applied more energy
of body than of mind. But the great
barrier to the youthful farmer to-day
is the fact of the inferior circum-
/ stances of his predecessors. Farming
and poverty are thought by some to
walk hand in hand. But this is false.
Many great fortunes have been found
/ ed on agricultural profits.
Cornelius Vanderbilt. "the Commo-
dore," one of the wealthiest men OF
the nineteenth century, obtained his
first hundrd dollors from this source.
William H. Vanderbilt, the Commo-
dore's son, cast adrift upon the world
by his Indifferent father, began the
pursuit of horticulture and in short
time he accumulated fortune to him
self Taken later into his fathers
favor, he inherited his fathers enor-
nous wealth and this combined with
his own fortune, formed one Of the
greatest OF modern times. Many Other
men before and since have gained great
i wealth from this source.
AS time speeds its ceaseless course
to infnity the farmer becomes more
prosperous. Agricultural advantages
are every day increasing. As we wit
ness the steady and sure rise Of THU
foundational element upon the ebbins