McNairy County independent. (Selmer, McNairy County, Tenn.) 1902-1969, 1913-07-11
TALKS TO THE FARMER
------BY- ----
7. F. PECK, Com. Of Agriculture.
Live Stock Essential for Maintain
ing the Fertility OF the Soil

"A great many farmers are un0er
the impression that they are prosper
ing, and their friends think they are
making money, when, in fact, they
are growing poorer every year. They
grow good crops, they live comforta-
bly,, there is an air of prosperity
about them, but when the real condi-
tion is shown it will reveal the fact
that they are really growing poorer.
To illustrate: have ten thousand
dollars which place in the bank and
as | need money / check on my CAPT.
tai at the bank. can live along
comfortably for time. but after a
while my capital will be exhausted.
Just so with a great majority of
our farmers today. Their capital is
invested in farm lands, they grow
and market crops year after year,
each crop taking some of the plant
food out of their soil; the system of
farming they practice takes away
plant food, the fertility of their
farms, and returns nothing to the
soil. The same thing happens to the
soil that happens to the bank &C
count when all is taken out and moth
ing is returned. Both will be ex-
hausted in time.
You all know farmers who are do
ing just such farming and every one,
so far as his farm is concerned, is
poorer each succeeding year. If we
could get our farmers to realize this,
they would want to change their sys-
tenn of farming and adopt one that
would give them a profit and at the
same time build up their soils. They
can do so by giving the proper at
tention to the live stock industry.
Tennessee is rightfully the home of
that industry and the sooner our
farmers get to appreciate our ad-
vantages for producing live stock
and the Importance Of returning veg
etable matter to our soils, the sooner
we will stop a losing game and 90 to
making a real profit on our work.
We should get fixed in our minds
the fundamental principle and first
law for successful agriculture-to
cultivate the soil to grow crops to
feed animals to feed the soil. When
we do this our lands will grow richer
with intelligent handling. Our crops
will be better and the farmer will
really be making money instead of
living off his capital.
Conditions are all favorable for
Tennessee farmers engaging in the
live stock industry. The western
grazing land is growing less every
year. Because of the vast areas of
level land, they can farm with labor
saving machinery and make crops at
less proportionate cost. They have
not yet learned the lesson that we
have learned, that we can exhaust
the humus in our soils, and the need
Of live stock in our system Of farm.
ing to rebuild the soil. Our fore.
fathers thought the same about their
lands, but we have learned better.
We can afford to let the western
farmer grow his grain crop for mar
ket. While live stock are so much
in demand at fancy prices we have an
opportunity to make money and re-
build our land at the same time.
If we are going to raise live stock,
let US 60 at it right. Blood will tell.
Let's get blood. 1t does not matter
so much in cattle if you are raising
} for beef, whether you select the
Shorthorn, Angus, or the Hereford.
But decide on the breed, then get a
thoroughbred with good individual
points. And let not every farmer
select a different breed; but let the
farmers in community agree on q
type and all breed that type 1t will
: require fewer service animals, and by
all breeding the same, it will be pos.
sible for a community to establish 8
reputation for that type that will at
tract buyers, and it will mean the ad
r vantage to the producer in having
the buyer come to them and ask wha
they will take. instead of the produc
' er hunting the buyer and having t,
ask him what he will give.
f The same will hold good in an,
j. kind of live stock breeding. By al
means, have community cooperation
Every time you show me a communi
ty where live stock is the principa
industry, | will show you fertile farm