The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1913-04-04
FARMERS
UNION ADVISES.
Makes Comparisons in Both
Town and Country.
To the Officers and Members of the
T1nion.

To the Officers and Members of the
Union:
A farmer driving to the city with a
load of cotton, produce or on some ers
rand is struck by the general neatnes-
of some cottage, probably the home of
q workingman. Flowers bloom in the
yard, well-kept grass grows on the
lawn, the fences are neat and painted,
and there is an air'of distinction about
the place. You say, "a sober, honest,
industrious man must live there" Next
door is a dirty, unkempt place, cans
and trash in the yard, fence falling
down. and a general atmosphere of un-
kemptness. You say, a "A shiftless,
drinking, no account chap lives there
But how much more noticeable these
things are out in the broad, open coun-
try, where the airs sweet, the sunshine
free of smoke and the stencil and filth
of a great city.
You drive along a country road. and
come to a farm. Distinction marks it
in a hundred little ways. The fences
are all up, and no rotting or tumbling
rails are seen; the fence corners are
free of bushes, briars and weeds; the
bitches are clean-cut, with no wide
hedgel of rank weeds growing along
either side, and the land cultivated
close up; the stumps and rocks are out
. of the fields. Even the rows and ap-
pearance of the fields themselves show
the thrifty care of intelligent applica-
. ton.
= Presently you come to the house.
, Flowers grow in the yards, which are
. clean and well-kept, with a neatly
graveled walk leading up to the front
, porch. Barns and out-houses are in
good repair, and no rusting farm
tools or machinery clutter yards or
barn lots.
And you know without question that
here a real man lives, a man that vii
I do to trust, a business man; he pays
s his obligations, and moreover, is a rea
h neighbor and a helpful one. You will
n generally find, too, that he is thought
full of his wife, daughters and sons
! that the boys want to stick to the farm
. because dad is all right and he made {
3 good living out of it.
j. So YOU drive on, and directly get
Ie shock. You come to a place with thu
fences down, corners growing up il
G weeds; land washed for RACK Of prope
he drainage; stunted, weedy stuff strug
IN Cling to survive in the fields. No pal
t. ings surround the house, no flower
n grow il! it, but a litter of every sor
er of thing encumbers it. The roof Q
at the stable and barn are leaky. the door
n propped up, rusting farm tools and ms
Oh chinery stand aDout c%orroding IN II,
re weather. Four or five lazy hound
IN sleep about the door or yard, n ever
s. thing about is desolate and depressing
You will find without query that a shift
re less, indolent, purposeless, don't-car
en- man lives there. He couldn't get
w cent of credit from anybody withou
security. His wife is a hopeless drudg'
with Just energy enough to crawl abou
his daughters run away and marry
the first opportunity, and his boys 6
to town or away from home as soon
-, hey are big enough to know enough
" leave.
Up and down this nation l have ira
eled, and | have seen both types ever
where, and | have never made inquire
yet that l did not confirm my views b
tween the two-the hustler and 4
drone. And often, too, both men ha
oil equal chance in so far as productive
of the land goes.
O.. | see in my travels someth' ng in Il
.ed connection that makes me hopef'
the The frst-named class is getting me
her numerous, anu Tie ias.-haiieu &c"
! is and fewer. Of course, we will pre-
,dv ably always nave the don't-care farm
MS but his class is vanishing at a graft
ing rate. to be replaced by alert, hai
working farmers who realize that far
fnr ing is a profession, calling for high
for telligence and common sense.
~ And as the profession of farming
vi. comes higher and better, you will Sc
powerful and contented nation.
C. S. BARRETT
Union City, Ga, March %, 1913.