The farmer and mechanic., 1915-05-04
AGRICULTURAL PAST AND
PROBLEMS FACING THE STATE
Serged into Cotton Growing By Lure of High Prices in
1865, North Carolina Was Swept Into Rich Harvest
: OF Brain and Brawn; Many Problems Yet to Face,
But the Old North State Has the Goods

the high price of cotton seems to
the farmers of the Southern States
and induced North Carolina to become
largely a cotton State; the cultivation
was resumed on many farms where it
had been abandoned and the GIN
house and cotton press became unfit
for use. The farmer was impressed
with the idea that he could raise cot
ton and with the money received from
lis sale buy everything he needed,
moth necessaries and luxuries, and
there was no thought of economy.
cotton was the security required for
advance of provisions on Indulgence
in accounts. 1t was necessary Tor the
farmer to have advances IN OrOer 10
make his crop; and he was compelled
to raise cotton. In this period the
mortgage or lien on the crop to be
nrodEced that year was introduced;
,s security for advances of goods, es-
necially supplies for the farm. But II
was not confined to this class OF
Goods: it was good as security Tor any
Iyind of goods which the advancer
had for sale.
Thus the farmer adopted the one
e~op cotton system, more from ne
cossity than choice. 1t is true the
nrice of cotton was higher than had
bcen in former times, but the price
of what the farmer purchased nau
risen equally. The poet tells "that
distance lends enchantment 10 the
view. and robes the sky IN azure
blue; so the postponemeht OIL .ne uay
of settlement gave the future raolant
bue to the farmer and he coulo uut
beliave that tomorrow Woulo luihii
tho eXpectatiOnS Of today.
Long Time Credit.
Lowing the realm of poetry ana
coming to prose, he was IKE the ne
gro who on passing lot OF clotnlhs
hung out to dry took snirt: opuAl
being told he would have that 70 an
syar for Judgment day, replied tnat
if il was as long a credit as tnat
take two" The farmer saw no heeo
of practicing economy as 10 MS pu.
chases. thinking that prices would re-
main high and he would oe aoie !.
settle for anything that he wisheo.
1t is remarkable now iohs .Is
farmer continued this custom, al
\ s1bough each wear he came out in debt
! which he expected to pay by lncreas.
ing the acreage Of his cotton; ane
mis- credit was valued not by tnt
amount of cotton he produced, put o!
the number of acres he had planteu
Corn or other grain, stock or hoss
were not recognized as good security
the merchants preferred to ouy tnes'
articies which composed the large
mart of his goods, beyond the limits
the State. or perhaps he was unwilling
To let the farmers know the enormou
profit he was charging on these sup
plies-fifty, seventy-five and even on
hundred per cent for six or elgn
months credit.
This custom was almost universe
when cotton was the prlnclpal crol
and it was generally true that the peo
ple were in straitened circumstances
At the same time, in most OF the coui'
ties there were men who raised cor
and meat to sell and who had none
10 loan, made by this manner OF 1arm
ing. The trouble was that the 1arme
brought ruin upon hlmself py en-
deavoring to raise something 10 pu
corn with instead Of raising 1t upo
the farm.
Unusual Lack of Cash.
When / became connected with tn
Department Of Agriculture in 1S9
the almost universal lack OF cash Wit
the farmers made them depenoei
and not an independent class OF GU
zens as they formerly were. In
caused me to enquire if there was ev'
a time when the Southern farmer ma
any money or had this always been n
NOIlUltlOI. bcluS Olu CiOu6AA " A-~
been farming in 1861 (going from N
farm into the Confederate army
1851 and returning in 1869 know
edge of the condition Of the farme
of that time answered my question
the farmer then was the most ind
pendent class of people; ard wnen
man in town needed money, he did
go to some other city to borrow, D
went into the country among {
farmers and they had it to lend. w
did the farmer have this cash tn
and was in such bad financial conc
ton now? The change had be
caused by the different financial I
suits in these days and at that tin
Then the farmers raised all the su
plies for his farm and generally
surplus of this class Of crops: colt
and tobacco were his money crops,
what he received for them was r
consumed by debts for supplies.
was net profit. Corn was then as NJ
I@x 60 I'm VI