The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-04-16
BETTER CONDITIONS
FOR SOUTHERN FARMERS
A. Knapp Spc Agent United States
Pnehu N.

In discussing this topic. 1t is neces-
saly to arrive at Il Just estimate :.
present conditions in our Southern
rural districts.
Some Years since traveller said
! shat the farms Of the South looked lihc
| a bankrupt stock ready for the auc-
| tioueer: the soils We're impoverished
| the brush ana briar patches conspic-
| uous the buildings dilapidated: ths
! fences a makeshift; the highways bur
! little more than much used britll
paths: the churches and school houses
IfWcre built upon the plan of inclosn5 Z
the necessary space at the least eH
| ponse; and the grave yards appeared
as if the living did not believe in he
! resurrection.
| This view point is not mine. To me
I the Southern states surpass all Of the
! countries of the earth Of equal area.
! in material resources mainly unGc-
/ Velopcd. Underneath almost every
acre is concealed Il mineral wealth ..
| surprising value: within almost every
acre are agricultural resources thag
/ touched by intellect and labor VIII
! reveal marvellous products. TO me the
| Southern people are the purest stock
! of the greatest race the world mss
produced. The rural population has
lived under nnfortunat~ conditions for
Z the best Development. but the cssenti-
al material Of their natures IS not
| impaired and it requires but leader
1 ship TO attain great results Scratch
! 2 Philippine and YOU may uncover I
/ Malay" scratch poor white of the
! the South ard YOU reveal hero Grea
gains have already been made and
greater are vet to come. There are
some retarding conditions. What are
/ they? The following are Of the most
| apparent:
1st IN the older States of the Soutir
! the annual product per- acre has great
(
of soil fertility: and moderate pro
! ductfon is only maintained at incrcaS-
| ed cost. Even comparatively nett
states. like Texas. indicate rapid loss
Of fertility.
2nd. Within the last half century
! vast areas of virgin prairie soils have
/ been opened for settlement bN fhr
i construction Of railway lines and haV
4 attracted many from the older states
/ Economical and rapid transportation
are equalizing the land values Of flc
/ world. depressing them in older an!
more porulous sections ana rapidly
! enhancing values in The newer. fhi.
! is true in Virginia New York, il
] England and elsewhere.
! 3rd. The large body Of freedmen set
tlcG throughout the rural district
of the South has tended to lower farm
! values and 6epress agriculture. ! an
not claiming that they intentionany
i do this or are morally responsible fO-
/
Of color. but is caused by lower planes
| Of living. ] simply mention it as z
! factor
fth. The poverty Of the laborin4
whites should be taken into account
! ri takes resources to build un apG
/ maintain a high civilization. # th1
I poor whites and the colored people
/ constituting nine-tenths of the country
/ population. do not have means to bI%
| farms, nor improve them, nor pur-
! chase equipment. nor to pay curren'
! expenses. country conditions must fad
TO Il low level. Considerable of tn.
/ is due to the war between the States
which financially ruined the South
It takes a long time for the peopl-
| to recover from sweeping disaster
and it takes longer when nine-tenth-
OF them have but slight knowledge
Of thrift
9TH. The credit system has been !
| potent factor in depressing agricultur"
To some extent it might have been =
necessary evil in 4 limited way. fortN
4 Years ago: but it proSpered and be
came dominant. oppressive and inso-
lent 1t unblushingly swept the earn
ings of toll from the masses into tGC
Golfers of the few. II substituted vol
untarv for involuntary Servltude, own
ership by agreement and poverty BY
! contract under fear of the sheriff fol
the ownership by brthright and {
government by proprietary right. 5
we have lived under a slavery Wher,
the chains are ingeniously forged ane
the bands riveted with gold 1t is q
the same in effect the impoVerish
ment Of the masses
9Th Evolution in manufacture:
has welded a mighty influence agains
the general development Of the coun-
try. Sixty years ago most of our me
clanics lived in the country upo,
small farms. which they and thei
= r,,1 4 llx.r
SOLD their surplus labor to supplement
The home income People were homes
land thrifty because all We're employ
Cd; today these mechanic farmers re-
side in town or city. cell all their labor
and live out Of 4 canned garden aa'
ana milk q tin COW: of course the.l
sons and daughters are idle.
eth. To foster the mechanic arts W
have levied duty upon the farm
thereby destroying and increasing tn
cost OF what they purchase about flf
per cent. This with the marvellous i'm
provements in machinery and mech
anical power has given the mechani,
an earning capacity Gas shown by th'
last census} Of from four to six tlnle'
that OF the average farmer. This /
the main magnet which attracts th'
best youth from the farms and dc
prives the rural districts Of thei1
riehtful leaders.
Sth. To cap the climax Of ,lepressin.
Influences most Of the money Of The
country has been diverted into com
mercis,l channels through the banking
laws. In the olIen time there were
men in the country who loaned mono
to farmers: later all such funds haN'
been absorbed by banks. until banks d +.
rcctly and Indirectly control tn
money Of the country Farmers ca
deposit in bank: but They canIio
borrow from that bank even thci
own money. II make . crop. IT,
! uuireS at least six months 10 make an
market an average crop upon farm
: | Banks can loan ouly for ninety DAY
: Suppose all Of the deposits Of q "
lage bank were made by fan mers- tha