Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-11-02
Sow Grain This Fall, and Rent to
Honest Workers


k,.hough cotton has reached high Levels
as 10 urices owing TO short crops every
vvhere except in Georgia and the Caroh-
mas /. viii be suicidal TO plant cotton
exclusively next year. Wheat has beeh
scarce and high during 1903. because Iar-
r,ers IN the west and northwest entertain
( ed an idea that they NEED not plant any
mons gain man usual. but the world
needed All that was already grown ana
when the wheat spectators found theS
could corner the crop and force Up 'lie
sale Of flour unto almost famine prices
they did 50. and the result VIII De uha'
flour will continue to be high ior slO1I
er year. II is obliged 10 stay up for an
ofher season. Therefore. 1 entreat our
southern farmers TO sow enough wheat 10
supD,v their own consumption and 1T
tie more 20 SOW in 1911
While 1 do not expect TO see cotton 80
down to cents again in my time pre-
dict there will be a bumper crop planted
an rsI0 Texas and the other cotton states
win spread themselves 10 regain lost
ground. They do not pay enormous ferui-
ixer bills as we do in Georgia. and Wheh
those states get a bumper crop IN sight
+ Ceorzfa's cotton crop is only drop IN
the bucket when we go 10 buying nigh
prfced -four with cheap cotton we VIII
get sornered or eat precious few biscuit
from our own tables Every farmer,
landlord OF renter should SOW at least five
acres in wheat for every mule ne WORKS
on the crop. II five acres OF good lana
Is well pIowed. fertilized and sown with
good weIl-soaked seed there will be bread
10 eat and 10 spare in Georgia
The great difficulty lies In the poor cul-
tivation OF the soil with the most OF ag-
ricuIturalists that know anything about
49, n rnmffw-
ual rain In the spring. but the land was
only scratched over on many farms and
the plants poorly cleared or cultivated.
drove over a farm last week that yield
ed "a bales OF cotton i'm ie0S and the neg
Iect OF the crop in leo9 was simply fear
fuL
The grass was as high as the cotton
stalks for the want OF hoefng or blowing.
With a houseful Of grown men and wo-
men on the place and boys also, there
was no effort made 10 either hoe or pick
out what cotton was planted on the land
They al simply sat in the house or visited
around. regardless OF their duty or obli-
cation. The landlord has had one. bale
turned in as rent. and that valuable farm
was simply victimized by a gang Of idle;
lazy renters. and this was done after the
landlord had advanced nearly one hun
bred dollars worth Of supplies. TO make
the crop. and there was still not effort
shown TO meet their contract. Just such
people viii play out Of course. but the
land grows with such idle worthlessness
and unthrift.
II n Just such farming and such failure
10 cultivate the land. which has given
southern farms such a poor reputation.
such renters and troopers can drag
down place faster than any dozen land
lords can build II up. @.
y They only aim TO stay one year and
leave In that twelve months they aim to
drain IL dry and leave nothing Of value
IN their departure for anybody.
This farm. which examined closely
has been injured twice the value Of the
rent that was promised and then with
held; and the only comfort lies in the fact
that such people will be forced TO travel
on after they exhaust the patience OF
those who have trusted them and been
deceived
The secret Of good farming lies in thor
ough cultivation and diversification Of
crops The failure with poor farming lies
. with sorry cultivation and sorry workers.
, II ever was convinced Of one fact more
than another. II Is the manifest duty Of
every farmer to SOW some grain this fall
for man and beast. as a safety precaution.
because the bread problem has become a
seriousc one. with flour at eight dollars
a barrel.