The Mena weekly star., 1911-09-28

What trigOnometry is to matbe- matics horticulture is to agricul- ture, and is not only as much of q science as the other, but reouires as much industry and intelligence to master. While trigonometry deals with cold and inanimate figures however, horticulture deals with the wonderful and fascinating mys- teries. of plant life, and no man can consider the opening bud, the frae- rant blossom and the luscious fruii with their blending coIors and juices of nectar, distilled from the laboratory of nature, without ex- lperiencing an enthusiasm that bor- ders on inspiration. No man can be successful horticulturist and a dullard or a sluggard, and no man can follow the horticultural indus try into scientific fields without en- ltertaining the most reverent and ennobling regard for the Supreme Being and the highest conception of good citizenship.
 The pathway that leads to the orchard and the berry field leads to independence and prosperity, and. while it may be a harsh and un- timely thing to say, the pathway to the cotton patch runs very closely to the road that leads to dependence and poverty. If some man eood ai | figures will convince n.e that inc greatest bulk of the cotton crop of 1911 in Polk county, the state of Arkansas and all the Southern states, for that matter, is not under mortgage to storckeepers, I will take 1t all back. One thing I do know, and that is it is little use for a farmer to talk about holding his cotton for better prices, when some man holds mortgage on it: and another thing 1 know, never knew of man mortgaging his fruit crop for a grub stake or feed bill. Not on your lifel And instead of being Tn debt and having to pay two prices for his goods, the fruit grower gen. erally carries a check book and lives like king.
 Do not misunderstood me to ar que that there is no money in grow ing cotton. On the contrary, I say there is good money to be made on cotton if properly managed, but there IS not much money in any kind of crop if the farmer eats and feeds it up before it is ready for market. Of course our Social lst friends say this is all wrong, but | 1t IS due to the "capitalstic sys- tenn" and cannot be helped. Cap ltalistic thunder and lightningl All capital does is to furnish the bacon and breadstutf, and the farmer fur nIshes the system" Now in some localities in the south little else but cotton can be grown, and then the farmer finds some excuse for being furnished" during the crop ping season, but here in Polk county where all kinds of crops do well, es- pecially all kinds of fruit, there is little excuse for farmer giving a mortgage on his crop, his team or anything else he may have, for grub stake.
 Now we come down to the meat of this argument--the milk in the CO., coanut. Admitting that cotton is a good paying crop and a spot cash crop, why not grow some other spot leash crop-strawberries, for in- stance-to help out On the cotton expense. Cut out all other varieties Of fruit if you will, but bear in mind this fact: that there is not farm er in Polk county, living within reasonable distance of the railroad, who cannot grow four or five acres of strawberries just as we'll as llf- teen. or twenty acres of cotton, and three acres in berries properly cul- tlyated and marketed will bring enough cash to carry any farmer in the county through the cotton growing season. Then how much more satisfaction and icae;;,easd.cc::.ec,: there is in having the cash in your pocket or in the bank to pay for what you buy. Not only that, but the good cash always buys more than the mortgage. No use to dis cuss this phase of the question. We all know that the credit system is curse to the farmers of any state or any community, and my prin- lclpal object in writing this article IS to point out remedy. Grow cot ton if you will, brother farmers, and grow lots of it, but for heavens sake don't mortgage it before it IS ready to pick. Grow more corn, more peanuts, more garden veg etables and raise more and better hogs and beef cattle, and above all |pay more attention te your or chards, and last, but not least, plant three or four acres of strawberries on some good corner of your farm. Mark you this, and mark it well. Fruit money is the easiest money that is made, and also that you will get better and surer returns from your labor in orchard and berry field than from any other part of your farm.
 Yours for better days,
 T. P. Fulton. Cove, Ark. Sept. 25, 1911.
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