Woodruff County news., 1907-06-20
FARMING IN
 THE SOUTH
THE SOUTHERN FARMER.
Value of Applying Business Principles
 to Farming.

June is a very busy month on the farm. Vegetation is much farther ad- yanced at this time of the year, and hence more grass and weeds for the farmer to fight The first essential to good crops is thorough preparation, the fundamental basis of which is fall and winter blowing every day that the soil is in proper condition.
 Every acre planted in cotton or corn should be well plowed during the preceding fall or winter, and re- plowed before the crops are put in the ground. The advantages of this are too patent to waste in discussing. The condition thus far has been so favorable that no farmer should offer an excuse for not being up with his work and, once, ahead, 1t only re- quires the prompt exercise of energy and the application of improvement of methods to keep ahead, unless caught by an unfavorable season that puts a stop to the blow, in which case it is often better to throw out part of the crop and confine work to only so much as can be thoroughly culti- vated. Ten acres well cultivated will give more profit than 20 or even 30 acres run over in a slip-shod way Whatever is worth doing on the farm is worth doing well, and the more thoroughly it is done, the larger the profit. In states where they have had special seed corn trains and have been carrying on system of improving the corn crop, it is estimated that an in creased yield with a superior quality has been added. It requires a given amount of money to meet the neces- sary expenses of any farm, and for profit the farmer must depend on the excess of the crop over the cost of production. If the profit is small he must scrimp and shift to make the ends meet, while with a larger yield and larger profits the luxuries and comforts of farm life may be enjoyed It should. therefore, be the object of every farmer to apply such methods as will secure for himself and family these last results.
 Every farmer should consider his farm as a business institution, and should run it on strictly business principles; and that by calling to his assistance thorough preparation, the best seeds and best varieties of all crops planted, he can improve every year the fertility of his soil, increase the yield of his crops and enlarge the profits on the capital invested. Many farmers make the mistake of clinging to one variety of cotton. corn or wheat until it deterlorates by long use on the same soil, when by rotation of crops and a change of seed the fer tility of his land could be maintained and, the yield increased instead of be- ing lessened. The good farmer will push his crops and never allow his crops to push him. The life of the farmer can be made most independent of any vocation. Producing the neces- sares to supply the wants of the in ner man, and breathing the pure air | of independence he can lie back and look with complacency at the predic- 1 tion of panics, the decline in stocks, the failures on Wall street and the calamity howlings" at the election polls Only the farmer can enjoy these high privileges. A farmer should | stop and consider the benefits he would derive from an increase of even
 - per cent in the average yield of his | cotton, wheat or other crops, and yet | he must know that this and even | greater increase can be secured by the application of improved methods of culture and the use of better seeds, which will cost him no more money or labor than trudging along in the old rults that lead only to poverty and want.
 Field peas are selling readily at $2 to $250 per bushel. An acre of land that will grow half a bale of cotton worth S25 to $50 will grow Is to 20
 bushels of peas worth $25 to $50. | Comment unnecessary.
 Corn has been increased in quality
 until it now contains a greater con
 tent of fat and nitrogen than ever be-
 fore known and the yield enlarged to
 nearly double. It is with the fa:mer to make farm life all that he wants it
 to be. He can make it ideal-a life of
 health, happiness and prosperity, or
 he can make it the reverse. He should
 be independent and rejoice in his in
 dependence, and every member of his family should share i'll that spirit of | independence, which includes the
 proud satisfaction that he helps feed
 and clothe the human family of all the
 civilized world.-W. H. Hopgood, Me
 don, Tenn.