The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1904-03-05
FARMER AND PLANTER
THE YEAR AND ITS WORK.
The Lessons Learned I'm the Year
That Has Passed and Their
Application to 1901.

eternity behind US. We only pass along
the Journey of life once. What is done
is done, and can not be undone.
In many respects 1908 was very re-
markable year. The weather was I'M
common. The seasons were extreme.
There was but little time in the first |
ns!f of the year for work to be properly |
done. Very many plans failed because |
Of the weather But through all the
mishaps fair measure of success came
to the wide-awake farmer. Many les
sons may be drawn from our last years
experience which will be very valuable
in the future.
The first lesson we wish to call atten-
ton to is the difference between tenn
porizing and planning. The man who
never plans, but waits for the emergen-
CIV to come and then tries to meet II,
did not succeed last year. He was not
equal to the emergency. But the man
who looked ahead and planned wisely
finds 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 10
make crops such as would pay. Many
did not get more than three and four
bales of cotton for each pillow. But the
land that had been well and deeply
prepared was ready to handle the e4-
| cess of water, and hence MADE gooo
| 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 Oh
a small farmer who made 10 bales on
20 acres, while some Of his nelgnoors
got three bales from 20 acres. The lano
was the same quality, but the farming
| was not 1t pays to look ahead anu
prepare our land for any kind OF sea-
sons that may come.
We know of a man who lends money
m farmers. He watched his customers
and inquired of them about their farm
ing. He found that all OF those VINO
had Moved deep and subsoiled, mad
made good crops and paid him prompt
Nv 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,
and from different sections and very
different soils. The result Is the Same
in al, sections and on all kinds OF soil.
of course there are a few exceptions,
bu. whenever we had an opportunity
to examine we have had good reason
for the exception. The rule stanos'
Deep fall blowing pays.
, We are very often met by the asser-
ton that we can not find time 10 90
this deep fall blowing. The cotton is
on hand to be picked, and labor is
!. scarce. Again they say we could not
do this deep blowing because the cot
ton was on the land. and 1t was toe
late before it was all picked. These
seem to be very real difficulties. But
we wish 10 say that neither OF these Il
a good objection. If you plan wen
; YOU will always have part of your farm
in condition for fall blowing. Either
) the small grain stubble or the lane
, from which you have cut your corr
/, crop. or both, will be ready TOT tn'
t plow. AS to the team while the cot
| ton ia being picked, the teams VIII p'
: idle. and all that is neeced Is 10 ge
D a hand to drive them. There Is Amos
t always some very slow picker at hant
who can make a good plowman. Thini
l and plan. and you will find that IT cal
a he done. Here as elsewhere, Wner
t there is a will, there is way.
e But back of all this and more I'm
: portant is the fact that we plan U
e make everything subservient TO IN
cotton crop. This is the present error
: We plant too large part OF the farr
: in cotton. This is not necessary, no
: is IL profitable A smaller number Q
= acres. better prepared and cultivated
: will yield as many bales and cost ies'
d and leave us more independent to man
E. age the rest of the farm.
e Another great lesson from 1903
o that we are no longer dependent en-
e tirely upon cotton for money crol
n Every kind of farm produce ma
L brought fine prices, and furnisne
r ready money at all seasons Of the yea
IS We need not trade on account an
Is give mortgages on crop and farm
lie secure our debts. A few acres devote
+ to a few of the many truck and fru
lie crops will pay our bills as we g
N Often they will leave a surplus.
e In raising these crops we raise muc
At that is needed to support our familie
Ell and thus greatly reduce the need Il
lie buying. SO that we often find that
n we learn to sell more, we need TO bu
Z, less
II, The old year winds up pretty we
is Only those who staked everything VI
on cotton and failed to make 1t are
trouble So the lesson to learn
ps plant crops which mature early and
A not require so much work or expen
es as cotton. Study to have them folio
nv each other so as not to Cvercrowd "
nv with work. BY doing this and usiI
a manure and fertilizers freely and
or kinds of improved implements, we CT
n make money with few laborers al
NJ less worry?
IN The outlook for 904 in indeed brigf
re Southern Cultivator.
LOOK AFTER THE TERRACE