The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1912-05-15
The Farm Situation.
tho Auousta Chronicle.

From the Augusta Chronicle.
There is vet time for the Southern
farmer to pursue the rational policy
and fortify himself against the rising
tide of high priced foodstuffs. by
every mail or wire comes the notiti-
cation of the advance all along the
line of plantation and household sup
plies.
With corn at $40, Western hay
$40 per ton, and beef soaring like
an airship the Southern cotton pro
Queer is certainly up against it. II
will take 5 cents cotton to keep his
soul alive, if he has to buy supplies
at present prices.
Having just passed through the
stormiest winter on record, with the
necessities of life going up while cot
ton went down, he has found Jordan
pretty hard road to travel, to be
sure. Then the continuous wet
spells, lasting from the first OF NO
vember UP to the present time, trans
formed the finest cotton crop that eV-
err grew into dog-tail and kept the
ground in such bad condition that
blowing was out of the question
Under these circumstances no small
grain was put into the ground, no
preparation for the next crop was
made. That is to say, no fall or
winter blowing was done. There
was scarcely time between rains to
get the low-grade of cotton picked.
Because labor was scarce it was the
first of March before many farmers
quit picking cotton, and not few OF
them plowed up their fields white
with the remains of the ruined crops.
These distressing details are bad
enough, but the farmers may as Well
congratulate themselves that cond1-
lions are no worse. Look at the pit
liable plight of the farmers OF the
Mississippi valley and the numerous
tribulations of that great river!
Millions of acres are under water,
and have been so for months. Hun
dreds of thousands of homes washed
away and families forced to seek
safety IN flight many miles away.
Thousands of the poor creatures, I'M
able to escape from the fury OF the
raging torrents, have been lost, and
thousands more with only the clothes
they wear are being kept alive by the
bounty of the government.
The property loss will mount up
millions. The calamity to the
section affected is simply unparallel-
ed. And the end~is not yet.
1t behooves, therefore, the farm
ers in this section of country to take
courage and contrast their conditions
with the poor unfortunates of the
Mississippi valley. Plant corn, plant
peas, plant garden seeds of various
kinds and plant patches of green
forage that will come quick and save
you the enormous bill of feed for
your stock.
Cotton is now the cheapest COM
modify on the market. The com
plete obliteration of the acreage in
the Mississippi valley, that was for
merly devoted to cotton, will OF itself
constitute a reduction of the cotton
area sufficient to advance the price
considerably. Added to this the
backward spring and lateness of
farm operations will prove further
curtailment of the crop, which will
have the effect also of stimulating
the price of the staple.
So that all signs point to higher
prices. If our farmers will be care
full to make their own corn and keep
their corn cribs filled and the smoke
houses stock with home-raised meat;
if, in short, they will live at home
and board at the same place, farming
will become a paying business and
prosperity will again smile upon the
land.