The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-04-26
LETTER FROM MIR. CRUMP.

To the Editor: This writer has
lived in Halifax county, y. G., for
thirty-seVen years. and has had expert
ence in farming for a good many Of
them, the result Of which is that he
makes buckl and tongue meet by a
hard pull. returned to my farm
here from Southeast Virginia about a
month ago. After having spent near
y three years in Grayson and Wythe
counties. And While I knew the con
ditions here in the general mode of
farming before ! left, | was unpre-
pared to accept the facts until | had
witnessed them again. Stock OF all
kinds kept here. cattle and hogs roam
ing at large. without any shelter or
feed. excepting h they could gath
CT from almost barren fields. And for
shelter. they have to seek protection
from the cold rain and snow behind
some u~nfenced building. to try to get
some warmth in heir h~ide-bound
anatomy.
What is the cause Of this cruelty
TO dumb animals? 1t seems to me to
be, to some etXent, the advancing of
small quantities of supplies to ignor-
ant farmers. The above applies to the
colored farmer chiefly. also to some
of the white race. OF course there are
exceptions. Out of five renting ten
ants on my farm. not one, SO far as
] can learn, has or had a fat hog, the
excuse being that they made nc corn
to feed them with. There is as good
soil here in Halifax county for max
ing the farmer self-supporting as
there is anywhere on The face of the
globe, everything considered. 1t has
been proven that there is no soil so
much impoverished but what it can be
made to respond with proper culture
to a bountiful Yield and q handsome
profit to the tiller.
One trouble here is that no work is
done until about the first of March.
Then the land is plowed hurriedly and
shallow, and with q purpose TO plant
as many acres as possible in cotton,
without any regard as to whether it
will be cultivated. Whereas. they
might take fifteen acres or less. till it
Well, manure it we'll. and make twice
the cotton and feed for themselves
and stock that they now get from
twenty-five to thirty acres. | know OF
land in WSthe county, Va. small
farms that cannot be bought for two
hundred dollars per acre. The own
ers do Il part of the labor. and on an
average. clear a profit Of fifty dollars
an acre. Much of this land. situated
nifty miles or more from any town Of
1000 Inhabitants. and several miles
from railway or other transportation.
All of their feed ana are
grown on the farm. Wheat corn.
Irish potatoes, cabbage. hay of various
kinds, and the result is they have the
finest milk COWS, sheep and beef cattle
that could be desired. They shin to
market millions of pounds. Turkevs.
chickens, in fact nearly everything
That IS good to eat, and it can be done
here in Halifax County. Possibly not
SO Well here as there, but | am as
sured that it would fill a blank that
has caused more POVERTY in the cot
ton sections than anything else. How
ever, another great trouble in max
ing the average cOlored farmer be
lleVe that he cannot make a living nv
working only six months in the wear
He is like the dog in the manager. he
wont eat, or let the horse eat. In the
round up, if the balance is on the
wrong side of the ledger. his conso-
lation seems to be. If I haven't made
ANYTHING. | is had lots of freedom"
The foregoing reminds me Of an
article that appeared III some maya
zine a lew years back. Showing tho
relations that sometimes exists he
tween former slave owners. and the
defendants of slaves in this day The
dialogue was somewhat as follows.
tthe young master. as he was some
almeS called had occasion to ranri-
nand old Moses, for taking his sad
die horse. without permission. and
Gripping him in a ride to q camn