Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1905-08-26
FARMERAND PLANTER.
LANDLORD AND TENANT.
the Troubles Complained of
Mny he Avoided.

"
Most of the troubles of farm life in
the south, and how to avoid them, are
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
10 the pillow, which was one-fourth to
one-third bale per acre. 1t took all, at
best, to pay for guano, meat, corn, -four,
nolasses, etc, and afforded only a
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 colored laborers had run
into the habit Of attending all the flu
%nerals. meetings, picnics, secret orders,
etc. This necessitated conveyances,
Sunday clothes, extra cooking, sewing,
s%tarching, ironing, etc, for themselves.
Also made much loss of time, caused
them to be sloyenly and disconnected.
They had been happy on 40 cents a day,
but now this became high and unprofit-
| n11n 1a kcn la. tbn fo,N,rr and tpett IL
Gent for ths modern wants of the Ia
borers. They began 10 go to the brick
yards, rock quarries, sawmills, rail-
roads, etc, Ghsrc they could get 75c
and 81 a dag. The old-time house
servants, mae 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 a 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 he 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 10 be without employment
for themselves and children. Their
incomes got t~iualler and their farms so
dilapidated that it was sad even to
see them.
Mr.. Thompson's flexible, practical
Judgment and good-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 was a tenant on an ad-
Joining farm. He was industrious and
honest. AS with most others of his
class, he had such a 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 one-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 Mr.. Thompson for a home for the
next year. Mr.. Thompson told him that
he had decided not to allow moro than
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 il. Mr.. Thomp-
son let him have a wagon and team
TO move with. When they arrived he
made them a visit and found they had
brought all their belongings at one
load. Mr.. Burrell presented a note
drawn for $50 the $3.50 odd money hav-
ing been left off, in favor of the mar
he left, it being the balance of 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
a short time he handed them SIS, and
told them to 90 to town and buy what
they needed. They hesitated in taking
what was to them such a big sum so
soon. 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
ter and other things which they them
selves could not use. After Christmas
Mr.. T. asked Mrs. B. whether she would
like to have a COW, and about a pair of
his thoroughbred pigs. o, 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
SIPS, hut | 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 half the time, He thor
oughly prepared with turn piow and
subsoiler three of the 20 acres for
wheat, borrowed some ~cottonseed and
broadcasted them, bought some acid
phosphate and potash, his half OF
which he paid for in doing some car
penter's work during the winter. He
harvested the grain, which was 40
bushels TO his half, and sowed the stub
BILE in peas and sorghum for his COW.
Mr.. T. had furnished all the plows, the
grain drill and binder, so also his
mower and hay-rake, The other half
of the grain Mr.. B. put in Mr.. rs
granary, and the hay in his barn, with
out instruction, worry or expense, and
more of it than he had ever made with
his negro laborers. According to Mr..
rs instruction, Mr.. B. prepared well
and planted seven acres in corn, which
made fer his part 60 bushels. Two acres
made all the strip, melons, potatoes,
vegetables, etc, the family could use.
Mr.. T. furnished fruit from his own
90 NJ II - I'll. -