The Southern farm gazette., 1909-07-24
The Coming Better Day for Southern
Farmers.

age Southern farmer TO draw some rather
unfaitcring comparisons between his condltion
and those of farmers in other sections AMI to con-
denim rather severely a good many of tho IDEAS and
practices now prevalent in Southern agriculture 1t
must not be supposed. however. from anything that
We have said along this line that We have the
greatest respect for and the fullest faith In the
Southern farmer that VIC would be willing for one
rnomou; 20 DC casacd among his detractors. or
that our attitude towards him is OF unsympa.
,hotlc criticism.
Practically every man connected with this pa
per has been himself at some time Southern
farmer an active farmer doing directing The
sor, Of work which ls done ordinary South
rrn farm with cotton. tobacco. corn. and all our
ordinary Southern crops. And every one Of US
has been alt his life vitality Interested in and d.
r"ctly dependent upon. the prosperity Of the farm
ora Of the south We have criticised common
practices only that We might lead readers to
tollo~ ~hat have been proved to be better meth
oda We have drawn comparisons between the
farmers OF the South and thos" Of other sections
only that wo nigh; inspire them with higher
appreciation of aud iner faith In tho possibli-
ica ot their calling and lead them to adop, the
fystoma aud practices ~ hieA have brought to other
soc,lona greater degree OF prosperity than We
ot the South now enjoy.
Wo have faith In Southern farming. We realize
that. in spite OF all our faulty methods and all
our imperfect systems. Il IS tho agriculture OF
he South which has built UP It's ctios-as weli
as the cities of other tections-and which has
changed thts region from a land OF seemingly
hopclcas ruin TO ono of comparative prosperity
and of untold possibilities. II all this has been
done under the crude. wastcful and often des;ruc-
uro methods OF the past. wha, may no, be accom-
pl!shcd Whcn. with "a clearer Wow OF tho underiy-
ing principles OF sc!cutinc farming a moro care
tat attention TO tho details of everyday work and
'hc general adoption of more economical methods.
the southern farmer starts out In real earnas, TO
make this country what Il should be- We believe
that good farmipg-thc kind OF farming tha, our
readers. aud that alt the farmers OF the South are
soing To do-Nill not only produce crops at
lower cost and hence at greater profit bu, viii
also redeem the worn-out Fields OF the South and
convert the lands now waste and Improbable
into fertile and productive areas. the homes OF
thrifty progressive and prosperous people
Not only do we believe In the possibility OF
southern agriculture. We also believe with all our
hoartB in the Southern farmers they whose work
II is which decides for all the South the question
OF plenty or scarcity. we believe that che farm
crH ot the South are less Intelligent less In
dnatrloub. less aspiring or less capable than farm
cra of any other section. Therefore. we believe
thht they can build up In the South rural civil
Fntion the equal OF any that can be built In any
other land or CLINE. and the superior OF any that
the world has yet seen,
The people OF the South have in tho past labor
ed under great disadvantage. and have beon COM
pollod To contend against many adverse circum-
La mi M IL of