The Carlisle independent., 1910-03-24
PLENTY OF HOG AND HOMINY
Better for Southern Farmer to Raise All His Home Supplies and Be
 Independent of North.

{ QOSS uOL uSSu lO De luSlFuCleQ Dy Oln- CTS in regard to his duty to grow I plenty of provisions, restrict the area i in cotton, enlarge the area in grain,
 raise his own bacon. I agree to that proposition In the main, but must in- l sist that many farmer knows what others want him to do, but all the same, he will not heed, writes R. J. Bedding in Atlanta Constitution
 Every one will admit that it would be better for the farmers of the south
 as 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 flour.
 But the truth is that so many farm CTS, while agreeing to the general proposition, think that 1t Is we'll for others to do the home-supply act, but
 ''as for me, give me liberty"-to grow cotton and buy corn and hay; to grow i 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 hominy and everything that MT. Cot ton Bale will be likely to need? Wouldn't 1t 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 a pound
 it would be very unwise course for
 farmers to neglect these home sup
 plies and go in for big crop of cotton
 this year. Possibly even a large crop above 100000 bales-may fetch a good price. but doubt 1t, capitally.
 The price has been between 14 and 15 cents quite 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 1t 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: i 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 | Deeves for sale every year, raise enough mules and horses to keep up heir working horsepower, and always nave corn and hay to keep and to spare.
 Another observed fact: The prosper 0us former, as a rule, is the one who rotates his crops, has homemade for his cornfields and his truck patches, grows plenty of oats and cowpeas, and whose farm is slow y 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 well. as far as it goes, and as far 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 class. Patriotism is not in 1t, and appeals to that sentiment are more than likely | to fall on deaf ears. The average farm er 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.
 Cnpoothino hhot,f uorcoe