The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-02-09

p. GraSty. III Manufacturers
tE. Record.

Alter a. stay OIL IL WEEK iN western
Alabama, ] find the coming Of the
boil weevil the main subject of dis
cussion. It is calculated hat he will
arrive at the very latest in time to
seriously damage the cotton crop of
1912, and, therefore,, the thought of
the Ia~nd-owning class is already con-
centrated on the problems which Will
have to be solved before then in order
to nitigate the da1nage as far as may
be possible by getting ready for the
right before the enemy attacks. 1t is
recognized that radical departure
from existing Systems and methods
will have to be made in order to pre-
Vent deplCrable disaster. Since it is
admitted that there IS neither pre-
~vention Q cure for the boil weevil's
destructive work on the cotton plant,
the question 0 fthe hour is how to re-
duce the inevitable damage most
efIectually. All agree that the best
course is to grow more food crops,
more corn, oats and hay. and to raise
more hogs, mules and cattle and in
this way make Ep for the loss in rev.
enuet that 1t Is generally admitted
viii result from the shortening of the
cotton crop.
But While all thinking men in this
part of Alabama are Of the same
lninu as to how best to meet the com
ing emergency, 1t as unfortunately q
taet that comparatively few of the
large landowners are able to do
what they know weA enough ought
10 be Gone to prepare for the i'm
pending invasion. Here, as in West
ern Mississippi. the main difficulty is
The demoralizatlon OF labor wrought
by the advancing system"
There are in this particular county,
Sumter, nearly five times as many
negroes as white Inhabitants. 1t is
representative Of e. belt stretching
enthusiastically to The Georgia line,
With such cities as Selma and Mont
Gon,ery Oh it's nothern edge. This
stretch Of land was originally called
the "Black Belt" on ccoun of the
war most people think it Is SO called
on account of the color of SO many OF
it's Inhabitants. This county, like
most OF the others through which the
Black Belt passes, contains a cons1d-
cradle area of sandy land, which is
occupied almost exclusively by white
me With small holdings, and
these may be called "yeomen farm
ers." in contradiction to the big
planters or owners OF large bodies
ef black land cultivated entirely by
negro tenants. working on shares
Il e., for q part Of y hat they raise)
Or paying q fixed rental in money or
cotton. Nowhere in the South has the
vogue han throughout this Black
Belt of Alabama" Owing to its
universally, white I still believe
ina the ultimate result OF this cotton
destroyer ) TdfdStS VIII Oc
tageous, there will surely be a great
many Instances Oh deplorab2e hard
ships and some OF complete Empower
ishment These may. be looked for
rs inevitable ia all sections where the
advancing system" is practiced;
that means everywhere where the
bulk of the cotton crop is produced by
negro tenant farmers Or renters.
iNcr in these regions preventive
measures are almost impossible, be-
cause the negro demands Advances
and many merchants DO that sort OF
business exclusively. and for them to
a advancing, would simply
mean to shut up shop, and human
experience has shown that few men
who will abandon their sole way OF
making a i wing until forced to
abandon it by conditions beyond
their control.
(and often all he wants. furnished to
him in advance Of the production and
delivery Of the cotton that IS to pay
for what he has been getting-f. e.,
what has been NOT
change his way OF buying everything
he eats and raising only cotton so
long as he feels that someone is going
to take care Of him. He will not
plant q vegetable in his garden, nor
even q sweet potato nor pea patch, SO
? le:ae as he can find a merchant who
Will advance" him things TO eat. II
j sthe exception, rather than the rule.
that he will raise enough corn to feed
his mule, prefering to get his mules
food as we'll as his W
Therefore, it will not be until after
the bon weevn has swooped down on
his cotton and destroyed it that he
will believe that any change of meth
cd is at al orthy OF cons1deration
Then perhaps he ran be brought to
realize that instead Of planting bis
cotton late, and working 1t lazily, he
must plant 1t early and work 1t fast,
and that. unless he wants TO go nun,
ary he mrs+ Dlanf more corn and
raise everything to eat thai 1t is pos
Sih'e Fog lin TO raise.
On the other hand. the whole "yeo-