The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1905-01-14
FARMERANDP LANTER.
FOUNDATION FOR SUCCESS.
Adopt the Aew and better
Methods:

The editorial in November 18th is
sue on Laying a Foundation for Sue
sess" was certainly timely, and the
opening sentence, The majority Of
farmers are farming by force of habit
or by surrounding circumstances" can
not be too often or too forcibly i'm
pressed upon the attention Of southern
farmers. While attending the fair at
Macon We had a gentleman To give US
his experience, which well illustrated
the case in hand, and made a profound
impression upon us, and we take the
liberty to repeat it to our readers, hop
ing il may make a lasting impression
upon some of them and assist some in
making their plans for the new year.
This gentleman said:
Il was born and reared in Hancock
county. / owned a good farm, but
worked it along in the old shallow,
shocking style, went fox hunting ana
took an active interest in local poll
tics, so | got badly in debt. In fact, |
had TO sell land, stock and everything
to pay ont. ! came down to south
Georgia, near Dublin, and rented a
Il two-horse crop on halves-just like
any other tenant. A wealthy man
Il down there saw | was not afraid of
n work and he made me a proposition
Z to oversee for him for wages and to
4 let my W 0 n run a crop on shares,
stayed with him three years. He
4 started me into the method of deep
n blowing and high manuring, and |
i began at once to make large crops
a and to clear money each year. Last
IL fall | bought of him 2l0 acres of land
and commenced on my own hook
again. | have los acres in cotton, |
have ginned 81 bales ana will make
about 12O. Have already ginned four
weighing 1920 pounds; will make 80
and 40 bushels of corn per acre. |
fused 600 pounds of fertilizer upon
4every acre cultivated; bought the in
gradients and did my own mixing;
broke every foot of land as deep as
Va two-horse pillow would go. / had Z
acres for hay. | broke this land with
a two-horse pillow and put 600 pounds
OF fertilizer broadcast ana planted in
peas and sorghum; have fed away
several loads; baled 125 bales and
have enough to bale that much more. s
Under my cotton and corn | put 200 {
pounds of suano in drill before plant
ing, and zoo on each side after the {
crop comes up, and when work it I
the second time. | will clear any 7
where from S $500 to $1,000 on this |
years crop" +,
Now, this ought to make us think. +
Here is a man past middle life, with +
everything lost by following the "old h
methods" in vogue in over three f
fourths of the south. But forced to +
begin life again, he adopted new meth q
DDS and his efforts are crowned with
abundant success. The question now /,
is, will We wait to be forced, or will +,
we voluntarily change to deep plow- II
ing, thorough cultivation and high ma Ii
nuring? All who read and think, p,
1--WE know the right, and approve It t,
too; al
Condemn the wrong, and yet the ii
wrong pursue" ly
Now al the close of 1904, and at the m
beginning of 1905, let's quit all half hi
~methods-all these Spreading tc
out" Scattering over ways, and be- tn
gin Alright the only true and worthy hi
way OF thoroughness in all our work. ca
And look forward to the only genuine In
prosperity which must come from to
gell-tilled land and diversified crops. TO
Thinking more of corn, grain and vi
took and less of cotton, and then we &C
Won't be standing around waiting for
to go to ten cents, as we see SO
many doing MOVIE. f. Hunnicutt, in Vt,
Cultivator. lt