Hattiesburg daily news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1907-1908, 1908-03-15
A Good Rule For Farmers.

OF all the people in the world the
farmer should be the most independ-
ent. He produces what other people
are bound to have while he receives
or should receive his own living di-
rect from natures hands.
The above proposition is self evil
dent one and yeti is is VIGOROUSLY true
that Southern farmers as a class are
not independent. Many of them buy
from year to year the very supplies
which can be, and ought to be, raised
at home. AS stated in a previous
article, no man is Independent who
is compelled to buy his living on a
credit He and his family must have
something to eat or starve and the
price he pays for provisions il bought
on time will keep him forever de-
pendent.
While almost every farmer can
make a good speech on the subject,
almost every one will do the silly
thing Each one seems to conclude
that all the others will do what none
of them really will do, viz. plant but
little cotton and lots of every thing
else. With this conclusion each one
plants heavily of cotton and but little
else, and the result is low price cot
ton and nothing to eat at home.
I have heard of case in
which the congregation of a certain
preacher decided to make him a pres
ent of barrel of syrup. 1t was under
stood that each member would carry
a gallon and empty it into a barrel
which had been carried to a conven-
lent place. The barrel when filled
with the syrup was to be carried to
the pastors home and presented to
him as a token of the loving regard of
his people.
One good brother concluded that
one gallon of water added to forty-nine
gallons of syrup would not impair the
quality of the pastors present and so
small an amount of water would not
be detected anyway. 1t turned out
that there were just forty-nine others
of the same opinion. The pastor re-
ceived a barrel of water.
The farmers all decide that every
one shall plant lots of corn and but
little cotton, and then each one pro-
ceeds to do just what every other one
has decided to do, viz. raise a large
crop of cotton himself and realize a
big price because everybody else
planted but little. They close out at
the end of the year with barrel OF
water" A cotton crop and nothing
else.
Some years ago l attended a large
gathering which was sort of picnic
and political rally combined. The pol
iticians were there in full force and
the speakers waxed warm, Git was in
JULY, in the discussion of topics af-
fectng the interests of "the dear peo-
pie" When they we're done someone
in the large crowd called for Hall.
Quite number of others did likewise.
There was no other one in the crowd
by that name and I responded with a
brief talk, not on politics but with ad-
vice to the great number of farmers
that were present / gave them a rule
which If they adopted will make any
industrious farmer Independent and
prosperous. 1t is as follows:
Don't try to cultivate more than
eighteen acres to the hand. In the
early part of October prepare six
acres of this by breaking and fertiliz-
ing it well and then SOW 1t in oats.
About the first of March prepare six
acres thoroughly and plant it in corn.
This will leave six acres for cotton
or anything else. With only twelve
acres to pillow, a hand can give to his
corn and cotton the very best Of cul
tivation.
III his corn crop should be light he
will raise oats plenty to feed his
team. If oats are short he will make
corn plenty, and If both are good
he can sell some of either or both
He can follow his oats with peal
or corn or sweet potatoes or he car
plant some of all of these. If he ii
near a market he can make truck