The Forrest City times., 1905-08-25
FARMER AND PLANTER.
LANDLORD AND TENANT.
A story Illustrating Ho" Many of inc Troubles Complained of
 May Be Avoided.

is taken from true characters of the writer's acquaintance.
 A farmer. whom We shall call Mir Thompson, owns a big farm in Mad ison county, Georgia. He is 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 house for each tenant. For many years his hands made about ten bales of cotton 10 the blow. which was one-fourth to one-third bale per acre. It took all. at best to pay for guano. meat, corn. four. molasses. etc. and afforded only d hard-strained living at that His land got poor. washed and worn His white tenants became discouraged and went to seek work in cotton mills and else- where His coored laborers had run into the habit of attending al the fu- nerals. meetings. picnics, secret orders, etc. This necessitated conveyanees. Sunday clothes, extra cooking, sewing. starching. ironing, etc. for themselves Also made much loss of time. caused them to be sloyenly and discontented. They had been happy on 40 cents q day, butnow this became high and unprofit- able labor for the farmer and insuffi- cent for the modern wants of the la borers. They began to go to the brick yards, rock quarries sawmills, rail- roads. etc, where they could get 75c and s1 day. The old-time house servants. male and female were gone Mr 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 high price. even in time of sickness or other emergencies Be- sides there was so much lounging. loaf ing and idleness it was unsafe for her to be alone even in daytime All these were stubborn facts which all saw. but few could remedy. Neighbors were renting out their farms and moving to town. there to be without employment for themselves and children Their incomes got smaller and their farms so Gilapidated that it was sad even to see them.
 Mir Thompson's flexible, practical judgment and good-hearted, sunny, Christian disposition suggested some thing different He experimented on small scale until he finally resolved to adopt The practical. intensive. scien- tiic methods of farming
 At this time q man whom we shall call Burrell was a tenant on an ad- joining farm. He was industrious and honest. As with most others of his class. he had such q poor crop, his landlord agreed for him to give it up and move in August. He was so ac- customed to diScouragements that he had drawn his face oue-sided into a habitual frown His wife. though young. 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 MT Thompson for a home for the next year Mr Thompson told him that he had decided not 70 allow more than 20 acres to the blow Mir. Burrall would be glad to live with MT Thompson, but he feared he could not pay out with So little a crop. Mr. Thompson told him that there was lots of land there, but if he would take that and follow his advice he would sign contract that if he did not make good living he would give him what was lacking He took his word for it. MT Thomp- son let him have q wagon and team to move with When they arrived he made them visit and found they had brought all their belongings at one load MT Burrei presented note drawn for $50 the S7.50 odd money hav- ing been left eff in favor of the man he left it being the balance of pro- vision account MT. Thompson was asked 10 sign No he was sorry that ne (Mr BurelD, was not able to pay TOT honest meat and bread, but he did not propose to do more than be had contracted.
 lie sent ttem food and other imme
 diate necessities from his home Tn snort time he handed them s75. and
 toid them 10 go to town and buy what 'ney needt'. They hesitated in taking
 what was to them such a big sum so soon. When they returned Mrs T. in sted Mrs B. over to her home, that sne would be glad to assist her and e"e her the use of her sewing machine , Ill making the winter clothing. She save them some spare milk and but ter and other things which they them se"eS could not use After Christmas ,''' ~. |. asked Mrs. B whether she would i"e to nave COW, and about a pair of "'o thoroughbred pigs O. yes, of
 .ouise they would, but they feared they
 ,yuiu hot afford so much. We'll, said
 s,a- % l.' 1t is true your account is now
 s -' nut l promised you a living. and
 ~" snail have it. He advised them to
 Hu ehelr children to school all win
 . ih the meantime MT. B. had got
 se privilege of MT. T. to get the mule
 n.. a"olher of his one-horse share crop
 n a to blow half the time. He thor
 e"iy prepared with turn blow and
 whf sooi4ef three of the 20 acres for
 nuea'' borrowed some cottonseed and