The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-01-30
Don't go it Blind" With Your Ten

Don't go it Blind" with Your Ten
Working our farms with 'standing
wages hands" lie fast becoming a thing
of the past. The greater part OF our
negroes much prefer to work o
shares" AZ they term it. or to rent the
land. The majority of our farmers
have been very lax in their methods
of making contracts. A mere verbal
agreement was entered into, whereby
the landlord was to furnish 30 many,
acres of land to be cultivated on shares
or for 80 many ponds Of lint cotton.
Very few landlords have any definite
understanding as to how this land ls
to de kept up; how fertilized; now
plowed and cultivated and what crops
we're to planted. The idea has been
for the negro to plant and make all tne
cotton possible, and this was all.
Now we think the time has arrived FOR
a radical change, and according to our
best Judgment, it should be execute
something like this: n
D There should bs q written con-
tract. The negro is free, and while the
majority do nothing but abuse ibis
freedom, still we had as we'll begin TO
adinst our methods to this condition
aud treat with him as a free agent, Out
put proper and necessary restrictions
upon him. No one can enter upon q
contract with another without assnm'
ing certain conditions, and these con,
ditions should be clearly set forth and
their fulfllment duly demanded: .,
(2) The preservation of the SOIL
should be demanded and a forfeit for
sail failure to keep up terraces n sucn
safeguards fully agreed upon.
8 Some system looking to the 70
tation of crops should also be deman'
ded. ,,
q Just how much was to be furnished
az the work on the crop progressed
should also be clearly set forth.
If q one can snggest other or offel
a better form of contract our columns
are open to them. We 81 often hear
men making remarks like these: u
would like to farm if I could contro'
labor.n II cannot get a negro to take
any care of the land" II can not
make them work like I went to-" etc,
and there is q universal complaint OF
the unsatisfactory condition OF negro
labor. Now the question arises, VINO
is going to rule? If we will tamely SUD
NIT we will certainly be run over. we
may have more or less clash by uuder'
taking to have a rational agreement,
but as we conceive it, tits ours TO dlc-
tate the terms, and then it is left with
them to accept or not. The sooner we
begin some rational system, the better
for both psrties. We are fnlly aware
there are many farmers Of that force
full character that simply rule on their
premeses, and they have beeu enabled
to get along well, but others are not
constituted this way and they suffer.
| The styoDgshould help the weak, and
those who can do with out a written
contract, should Use o to help their
n%eighbors. All other countries have Q
system and we must have one, too, II
we wish the best results in our farm
Operations. We admire the example OF
Mr.. J. G. Stribling, of Pendleton, =. Z:
He says no tenant can stay on his LAND
who will not agree to SOW down one
third of his land every year, or carry
outs regular three year rotation OF
grain, corn and cotton. This ia good
business; in the end it will be bene-
fetal to Mr.. Stribling, to his land and
to the negro tenant. Of course, our
negro laborers are going to get worse
and worse each year as long as we sub
NIT more and more to their trihing
and careless ways. 1t is simply a ques-
ton OF who is going to dictate terms.
We do not advocate wronging the ne
gro in any way, !but if we are to dwell
together in unity and for the npbuild'
ing of our agricultural interest, then
we must begin a more rational and ex-
acting system of demands upon them
for the proper carrying out ali labor
contracts. We call upon every reader
of the Cultivator not to make trades
for another year without a written
contract, and put it in there how they
are to improve the land, about terraces
rocks, stumpst gullies, CALLED spots
and what they are to plant and how
they are to cultivate it. 1t is a little
trouble, but it will pay both ways il
will pay in calling your attention more
closely to the needs Of your land, ant
it will pay in getting the negro to d.
some better. We do not claim 1t will
be a royal road" there will be man!
obstacles to overcome; but it is certain
ly a road leading in the right direc
tion.-Southern Cultivator.