The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1915-03-21
ENCOURAGE
THE TENANT To
GROW PRODUCE
IN THIS WAY A GREAT DEAL OF
PREVAILING POVERTY CAN BE
ELIMINATED, SAYS ONE PROM.
INENT FARMER.

81 want to see the time when ev-
cry farmey tenant or owner can keep
out of the feed stores forever. See
the time when every farmer who
comes to town will bring something
to sell, hams, bacon, lard, in fact,
everything raised on the farm, to
put on the market, instead of seeing
him go into n store and buy meat and
to feed store and buy grain and
hay for his stock. When that time
comes you are going to see a won
derful country in this southern por-
ton of the state, but there has to
be radical change before this is
brought about"
The above was spoken by one of
the best farmers and most progress
i've land owners in the county, and,
continuing his remarks, he stated
there was but one way to do this, and
that was for every land owner to in
sist upon his tenant setting aside
certain tract of land for garden
and truck patch, also assist them. II
necessary in procuring some milch
cows and hogs, and see to it that
they are properly taken care Of In
this manner it will be but a few
years until every tenant will have
learned the benefit OF this method.
and will gradually grow Independent
and become land owner himself
Enough poultry is raised in several
states to pay the running expenses of
the household when properly cared
for. This man says there is no rea-
son in the world why the same can
not be practiced in this section, if
the people will get their minds off
of SO much cotton, and raise some
thing to eat. He stated that in his
opinion the time was not far
off when legislation would be en-
acted along these lines, unless the
land owners themselves see the hand
writing and forestall such action.
He pointed to the present inves-
tigation now going on in Dallas be-
fore the industrial relations commits
sion, where some startling facts are
being developed relative to the tenant
farmer, and the one-crop cotton plan
as indicative of one step that is very
liable to be followed by others, if the
landlords of the cotton states do not
try earnestly to relieve the present
condition of the tenant farmer
throughout the. south
when a man has labored inces-
sanity for twenty-five years, and has
not one dollars worth of property.
in fact is practically a pauper, as
was shown by this investigation. 1t
is time that the land owners begin
to sit up and take notice. This same
man, who labored so hard for so
long, was not only down and out,
with a large family who have la
bored with him to support them
selves, but he is seven hundred dol
lars in debt. This could not happen
in country where the farmers raise
what they consume, and where they
are not compelled to buy nearly ev-
erything they eat"
This man stated that several farm
ers in his vicinity were already pre-
pairing to help their tenants make a
better living, give them better houses
in which to live, and otherwise en-
courage them to raise what they eat,
and see how soon they will be inde-
pendent
The encouragement of the boys
corn, cotton and pig clubs. and the
girls canning clubs, will help a great
deal toward bringing this condition
about. This man thinks, If the land
owners will only encourage the head
of the family to follow the example
of the boys and girls,-raise some
keep out of the grocery
and feed stores, quit living out OF
a tin can"