The Tupelo journal., 1905-08-25
FARMER ANDpLANTER.
LANDLORD AND N A
a story Illustrating How Many Of
the Troubles pInIned of
May De Avoided.

Tie SOuln, ana now 10 aVOlu lHeW, dTo
suggested in the following story, which
is taken from true characters Of the
writer's acquaintance.
A farmer, whom we shall call Mr..
Thompson, owns a big farm in Mad
ison county. Georgia. He is a big
hearted man. and was considered a
good farmer after the old methods. He
had his farm arranged in one-horse
crops of about 40 acres, with a house
for each tenant. For many years his
hands made about ten bales Of cotton
to the pillow, which was one-fOurth to
one-third bale per acre. 1t took all, at
best, to pay for gnano, meat, corn, Hour,
molasses. ETC.. and afforded only q
hard-strained living at that. His Ian
got poor, washed and worn. His white
tenants became discouraged and went
to seek work in cotton mills and else
where. His co,ored laborers had run
into the habit of attending all the fu-
nerals, meetings. picnics, secret orders,
etc. This necessitated co%nveyances,
Sunday clothes, extra cooking, sewing,
starching, ironing, ETC., for themselves.
Also made much loss of time, caused
them to be sioyenly and discontented.
They had been happy on 40 cents a day,
but now this became high and unprofit-
able labor for the farmer, and INSULT
Client for the modern wants of the Ia
borers. They began to go to the brick
yards, rock quarries, sawmills, rail-
reads, ETC., where they could get 75c
ard 81 a day. The old-time house
servants, mae and female, were gone.
M. Thompson had to worry with his
field work, stock, tools, his fencing,
buildings, and everything else out OF
doors. Mrs. Thompson could get only
poor help at a high price, even in time
of sickness or other emergencies. Be-
sic es there was SO much %lounging, loaf
ing and idleness it was unsafe for her
to 30 alone even in daytime. All these
were stubborn facts which all saw, but
few could remedy. NeighEors were
| rerting out their farms and moving to
| town, there to be without employment
for themselves and children. Their
| incomes got smaller and their farms so
dilapidated that it was sad even to
see them.
Mr.. Thompson's flexible, practical
Judgment and go~od-hearted, sunny,
Christian disposition suggested some
thing different. He experimental on a
| small scale until he finally resolved to
adopt the practical, intensive, scien-
tifc methods of farming.
At this time a man whom we shall
call Burrell vas a tenant on an ad-
Joining farm. He was industrious and
hon est. AS with most others OF his
class. he had such a poor crop, his
| landlord agreed for him to give 1t up
and raove in August. He was SO ac-
Gust omed to discouragements that he
had drawn his face one-sided into a
| habitual frown. His wife, though
| ycuug. was stopped and faded; his
children shy and forlorn. This poor
| man cut and split wood in the old fields
from August to October. Then he went
| to MIR. Thompson for a home for the
| next year. MI. Thompson told him that
| he had decided not to allow more thar
| 20 acres to the pillow. Mr.. Burrell would
be glad to live with Mr.. Thompson,
| but he feared he could not pay out with
| so little a crop. Mr.. Thompson tod
| him that there was lots of land there,
| but If he would take that and follow
his advice he would sign a contract
that If he did not make a good living
| he would give him what was lacking.
He took his word for it. Mr.. Thomp-
son let him have a wagon n team
| to move with. When they arrived he
| made them a visit and found they had
| brought all their belongings at n
| load. Mr.. Burrell presented a note
| drawn for $50 the $3.50 odd money hav-
ing been left off, in favor of the man
he left, it being the balance CT pro-
vision account. Mr.. Thompson was
| asked to sign. No, he was sorry that
| he (Mr. BurelD, was not able to pay
| for honest meat and bread, but he did
| not propose to do more than he had
contracted.
He sent them food and other imme-
| diote necessities from his home. In
I a short time he handed them SIS, and
told them to go to town and buy what
| they Eeeded. They hesitssed in taking
| wha. was to them such a big sum SO
| soor. When they returned Mrs. T. in
| vited Mrs. B. over to her home, that
| she would be glad to assist her and
| give her the use of her sewing machine
in making the winter clothing. She
| gave them some spare milk and but
/ tor and other things which thew them
selves could not use. After Christmas
| Mr.. r. asked Mrs. B. whether she would
| like to have a COW, and about a pair OF
his thoroughbred pigs. 0. yes, OF
| course they would, but they feared they
| could not afford so much. Well, said
| Mr.. T., it is true your account is now
$125, but l promised you a living, and
| you shall have it. He advised them to
| send their children to school all win
ter. In the meantime Mr.. B. had got
| the privilege of Mr.. T. to get the mule
| of another of his one-horse share crop
pers to pillow ha.f the time. He thor
| oughiy prepared with turn plow and
| subsoiler three of the 20 acres for
/ wheat. borrowed some cottonseed and
| ~broadcasted them, bought some acid
| phosphate and potash. his hall OF
which he paid for in doing some car
| penter's work during the winter. He
| harvested the grain, which was ~
| bushels to his half, and scwed the stub
| BILE In peas and sorghum for his COW.
| Mr.. r. had furnished all the ploWs, the
| grain drill and binder, SO also his