The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1904-10-15

THE SOUTHERN FARMER.
Ii Future Prosperity Of the South-
eFh AGri"ulturIst Depends on
Scientific Farming.

'"' AcA4 Er1 hl6 AAti3-@z al
~lnrincible power confronting the enor-
nous wealth and shewd schemes Of the
merchant and speyulator.
With his knowledge Of agricultura
as L science and the opportunity Uf
gaining the choicest advice frcm the
many agricultural institutions and
publishing firms throughout the land;
with the Invaluable help Of the many
labor-Saying machines continually on
the market, and other great adyan-
tages which he possesses, he is D
abled 10 stand firm and iace great Oh
stacles. The foundations Ct his pow
err are i~mpregnable, even though they
may sustain the most impatuous as
saults from the hands Of his great OPP
ponenta.
| do not say enemy, for who could
be an enemy 10 the element that sus-
tains their very life, that sives them
health and yigor, 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 selash in
terests aud expand their great fortunes
accumulated at the loss OF The farmer.
These men know that we're they 10
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 Wpuid retreat
to its lowest ebb and finally cease en-
tirely. The whole land would soon be
more properly say, an endless and IN
broken forest.
But We need not fear such a calamity
Detailing the human race, Tor were It
even threatened every hand would be
extended to avert it and agriculture
would rise to q higher plane, than II
had eyer attained before, Thus it is
proved that those who are apparently
the greatest opponents Of agricultural
prosperity, are its strongest adVo-
Gates. Although the cotton buyer may
decrease the price Of cotton for a pc
riod, still he must suuner OF later al
low it to rise to serve his own inter
ests, ard when the price j. thus made
the buyer, the shrcwd agriculturists
will rush their cotton to market and
then TO use a common phrase, will be
caught in his own trap But it is i'm
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 agriculturiBt is urged to
greater efforts, and he calls for high
err prices. which mast be Hlyen.
In this way by the rules Of traffic,
the farmers prosperity becomes great
err with each revolution Of the great
wheel Of time. The clouds may gather
upon the horizon, but t2ar nOi, for
every cloud has its silver lining and
this is especially true with The farmer,
Opinions differ as to the price Of cot
ton in the coming season. The esti-
nations Of some arc very high, While
the estimations OF others are very low.
The authors opinion is that the &tter
is more probable for, excepting a few
farms, the whole south Will be plant
ed in cotton this season aud the mar
ket will be glutted. decreasing the val
ne very greatly, But as has been said
above, cotton can not fall 70 a very low
price. for the demand is r@0 great.
If all the cotton is rushed to mar
ket in q bulk the price vii fall to a
parallel with the cost ui culture; buj
if the supply is equal from beginning
to end Of season the demand viii be
continuous and cotton will hold a
price that will realize the planter very
fair profits. Even il the profits be but
average, tho great quantity planted
will be sure to bear enough to yield
the planter a sum that VIII lay the
foundation of a fortune.
This will induce more of our south
ern youths TO follow this choice puT-
suit. and what better occupation can
the southern youth desire than agri-
culture?
Has he not every opportunity which
one could desire Of preparing himself?
The youth of this generation who eZ-
poets 10 pursue agriculture as a life
work does not prepare himself as did
the youth of the last generation. NO"
they take their course Of Study like the
lawyer or physician, they study their
n~ursuit as a. science; then, they simply
~anonainted themselves with the rules
of manual labor. applied more energy
of body than Of mind. But the great
barrier to the youthful farmer to-day
is he 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 Eib
first hundrd dollors from This source.
William II. Vanderbilt, the Commo
dores aon, east adrift upon the Wo.ld
Inv his Indifferent father, began the
pursuit OF horticulture and in a snoft
time ha accumulated a fortune 10 him
self. Taken later into his fathers
favor, ne Inherited his fatherS ehor
nous wealth and this combined with
his own fortune, formed one OF the
greatest OF modern times. Many otnsE