The Green Forest tribune., 1910-03-11
PLENTY OF HOG AND HOMINY
Better for Southern Farmer. to Raise All His Home Supplies and Be
 Independent of North.

It is insisted by some that the | farmer is free, white and 21" and does not need to be instructed by oth- CTS in regard to his duty to grow plenty of provisions, restrict the area l in cotton, enlarge the area in grain raise his own bacon. I agree to that proposition in the main, but must in sist that many a farmer knows what others want him to do, but all the same, he will not heed, writes R. J. Bedding in Atlanta Constitution. 1 Every one will admit that it would be better for the farmers of the south as a whole to produce all needed sup plies so that no one state would be obliged to send north or west-outside of her own borders-for such obvious ly necessary things as corn and hay, bacon and lard, beef and butter, and, in some states, at least, wheat and four
 But the truth is that so many farm CTS, while agreeing to the general proposition, think that it is well for others to do the home-supply act, but
 
 cotton and buy corn and hay; to grow cotton and buy bacon and lard; to grow cotton and buy mules and horses, or give me death," of debt and non- prosperity. Wouldn't it be fine for Farmer Cotton Bale if every other fellow would cut down his cotton area one-third and raise plenty of hog and bot, +; t1,o4 M C~+ ton Bale will be likely to need? :? Wouldn't it do his heart good if the output of cotton shall thus be limited to 10,000,000, or less, and corn be plenty and to burn, smokehouses bursting with cheap bacon and lard and everything he needs brought to his door at his own price?
 But the obstacles in the way of this rosy desire and expectation is the fact that so many of the other fel- lows are his own kith and kin, and are so shrewd and selfish, maybe, as he; and so the scheme MT. Cotton Bale would like to see operated falls to the ground
 The simple truth is that even were cotton now selling at 20 cents pound it would be a very unwise course for farmers to neglect these home SUD- plies and go in for big crop of cotton this year. Possibly even a large crop above 12,000,000 bales-may fetch good price, but I doubt it. capitally.
 The price has been between IA and 15 cents quite a good while, and al though it seems that it ought to go up, the fact is it doesn't go up, and maybe 1t will not. High prices for cotton will be followed by high prices for cotton goods Or-the mills must shut down and consumption will fall off, for it is certain that the people are not going to consume more cotton unless it be manufactured. But, hold on; I am about to embark in what sounds much like one of these cotton letters," when the truth is, nobody knows what is in the near future in regard to cotton. note. however, that on the 18th in stant, in New York city, October fu- lures were below 13 cents.
 There is one thing I do know-in fact, we all know it-and it is this As a rule, with but few exceptions, the steadily prosperous, progressive debt free farmers of the south are found among those who Tive at home and board at the same place." as the com mon saying is. They have plenty of home-raised hog products, nice milk and butter to eat and to sell, few fat beeves for sale every year, raise enough mules and horses to keep up their working horsepower, and always have corn and hay to keep and to spare
 Another observed fact: The prosper ous former, as a rule, is the one who rotates his crops, has homemade manures for his cornfields and his truck patches, grows plenty of oats and cowpeas, and whose farm is slow ly but surely growing richer and more productive as the years go by.
 Concerted effort to reduce cotton acreage and increase food crops is all very we'll, as far as it goes, and as far as it succeeds. No doubt such efforts result in some measure of success; but have steadily believed that the best and most fruitful arguments are those that appeal to the self-interest of the individual farmer, and not those that are addressed to farmers as a class Patriotism is not in it, and appeals to that sentiment are more than likely to fall on deaf ears. The average farm CT must be convinced that it is to his personal interest and future prosperity to adopt (and stick to it through thick | and thin) a conservative land-improv- ing, self-sustaining policy.