Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1914-06-26
ERROR OF PLANTING COTTON
Plan to Have Corn Crib Bursting,
Wheat Bin Filled. Fat Live Stock
and Vegetables.

and Vegetables
10 the Ohicers and Members of the
Farmers' Union:
Brother. how Is your corn crib.
your smoke house, your wheat bin,
how are your home supplies generally
Are you planting your crop in this
good year Of 1914 with a view to max
Ing your corn, your wheat. your pota-
toes. your hay. your meat and all
the other things which mean your
very sinews Of life! Or are you going
ahead blithely unconscious of that and
planting every acre you can get ready
to cotton?
Hog and hominy! Homely but ex-
pressive phrase! The very heart and
soul of the farmers welfare. Are you
working to have the hog and hominy
at home and not in the warerooms OF
your supply merchant?
Wake up. brother! Advice 10 flung
at you from many and varied sources.
but If you know anything at all Of
me by now. you know that have been
hammering this sort of thing into you
for a great many years. And l want
to repeat with greater emphasis and
more earnestness than ever. II 1t is
possible. do not make the fatal blum
der of planting cotton to the exclu-
sion Of everything else.
Distressing news of this sort h
coming to me. not only from Georgia.
but from the entire cotton belt. Hasn't
sad experience taught you anything
yet? Don't you know that bumper
cotton crops mean low and ruinous
prices? II it has ever been different.
then l am subject to correction.
1t isn't too late yet, my friends.
Clean out the fence corners. the brier
patches along the branch or bitches
and plant etuff that means your indie
pendence. Corn. potatoes. peanuts,
yams. sorghum, peas, garden truck.
anything to insure your living at home
and boarding at the same place.
Seasons for several months have ia
vored you. You had an open winter
to prepare your lands well. and l
believe 1t has been generally taken
advantage Of. Your land il in fine
shape, with the outlook now for boun-
teous harvests.
But you are making the same old
everlasting fool mistake. planting cot
ton. cotton, cotton. And the gamblers
and men who handle fruits of your toll
are sitting back. grinning compla-
Gently and saying. THE darn fool will
never learn any sense, but continues
to play into our hands"
am not crying against the produc-
ton of cotton. Cotton il a necessary
and vital crop in the economy of the
world. 1t IL necessary to clothe your
family and mine, to put cash money in
your pockets. But how idiotic 1t IL
to plant only cotton, leaving out the
things necessary to the life and vel.
fare Of yourself and your family.
Look about, brethren. and see who
Is prosperous among your neighbors.
You'll f1nd it's the man who makes
cotton q secondary consideration.
whose corn crib is bursting. whose
wheat bin IL overlooking. whose
smoke house Is filled with home-raised
meat. whose table 10 laden with home
grown vegetables. and whose stock
and cattle and hogs are sleek and fat
with produce grown on his farm.
And that man raises cotton. too.
And his cotton crop puts money in his
pocket instead Of the supply mans.
Come out of your trance, brethren.
Wake up and show sense-hard. horse
sense. Independence for you il not
q will o. the wisp. and 1t isn't in the
hands of the uplifters. 1t is right un-
der your nose and It IL up to you to
assert yourself and reach out and
grab 1t.
Awake. you sleepers. awake!
CHARLES 8. BARRETT,