The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1906-04-21
FARMER AND PLANTER.
DIVERSIFIED FARMING.
Paper Read BY J. w. Connolly De-
fore the Owen County QKen-
tucky) Farmers' Institute.

/
fore the Owen County Qxen-
tucky) Farmers' Institute.
Aside from the natural timidity and
embarrassment that possesses most
farmers when they attempt to say any
thi ng in public, l am laboring under
an additional embarrassment.
About two months ago l tried to
have something to say on this same
subject that is assigned to me this
evening. And why this committee on
| programme has put me on the same
subject again / am unable to under
stand, unless 1t was that on the form
er occasion tried to excuse myself by
| promising to do better next time and
they are trying to hold me to my prom
| ise But IL that Is so, am very sorry
| they can not take joke, for can as
However, / will try to call attention to
some of the advantages of diversified
farming as best can.
/ wish to assert In the beginning.
and do SO without fear of contradic-
ton, that no farming can be success
full without a system Of diversification
Of some kind.
The abandoned lands of our country
prove this In our Sunny South" land,
in days gone by, cotton followed cot
ton year In and year out until much
Of their lands were so impoverished
that they could raise practically moth
ing. In our own state, our fathers
and grandfathers would clear up a
piece of virgin forest and raise to-
bacco as long as it would grow to-
bacco. then corn and wheat until it
would scarcely sprout "black-eyed
peas" when it was thrown out and a
new piece cleared up, which went the
way of the first until great tracts of
land are scattered about over our
country that are almost valueless. BY
an intelligent system Of Investigation
these conditions could have been
avoided, and instead of our lands be-
ing worn out and run down, as a great
amount of it is to-day, could have been
In as high state of cultivation, If not
more fertile than they were when
cleared up out of the virgin forests by
our fathers and grandfathers.
II we will divide up our crops In
such way and practice such system
of farming that we return to our lands
as much or more of plant food than is
taken away, and intelligently use the
laws of nature in its operations upon
our soils. there is no use of our farms
running down from year to year, but
on the contrary they should be getting
better from year to year.
Diversified farming or proper rota-
ton of crops will greatly increase the
productiveness of our lands, by fol-
lowing broad leaf crop by a narrow
leaf crop. Most every farmer knows
how we'll corn, wheat, rye, etc., will
grow after tobacco, the different kinds
of clovers and all broad leaf plants.
But few Of us have tested it thorough
ly as we should the advantages of
changing around and occasionally run
ming the narrow leaf first so as to pre-
pare the way for the other crops. II we
will give this faithful trial l am sure
we will be most agreeably surprised
at the results.
1t would be a useless argument to
try to prove that it would not be
great blessing to the farmer to have
the productiveness of his lands in
creased, for, so to speak, the farmers
stock in trade is his lands. II he de-
sires his stock to be paying a dividend
he must keep up the fertility of his
farm, thereby producing larger crops
with less labor. The only way to keep
this up Is to return as much or more
OF fertility to the soil than we take
away.
Diversified farming not only improves
the farm, but by growing a greater
number of articles for sale will enable
the farmer to be more Independent of
the trusts and combines. Give him
more chances to strike good market
Tor some of his commodities. It also
enables him to supply greater num-
Der OF his own wants himself, and has
to go to the trusts for that much less.
and consequently has that much more
money in his pocket.
When he raises only one crop he has
sale day only once a year, when IL
he had great number of crops, his
days OF sale would be scattered
throughout the year, and many a day
of hard times would be turned into a
day Of plenty.
Diversified farming not only tends |
to build up the farm and to increase
the amount Of the farmers ready |
change, but it tends to build up and
elevate the farmer as well. His ideals
are higher. He is more self-reliant He
looks the world in the face with
clearer, brighter eye He. comes in |
closer touch with nature. He is more
and wide awake. He is al
ways on the lookout for the best. He
Is better man, better husband and |
father, a better neighbor and a better
citizen. He is much more self-respect- |
Ing. His ideals are greatly elevated
above the plane of Edwin Markham's |
brother to the OK" He is a more bal
anced man, and not nearly so one sid
ed as the one-crop man. He IL more
progressive. His house is more up to
70 opd xv,or>