St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1916-03-04
BRUNER ADVISES FARMERS TO
PLANT LESS GOTIDN

,tuffs and to raise more live stock.
In a letter addressed to the farm
ars of Louisiana Mr.. Bruner says:
As the time is getting near to
commence the preparation for cot
ON planting, | think a word OF adj
vice from the head of the Depart
nent of Agriculture is in order.
Ever since | have been commits
sioner / have urged you TO giant
less cotton and more feed stuffs
and to raise more and better cattle.
ogs, horses, mules, etc.
You have accepted my advice to
a certain degree in 1915. and | be-
lieve you profited by it. You got
more for your 1915 small crop of
cotton and cotton seed than you did
for your 1914 large crop. Besides
you have more in your barns, SNAKE
houses, pastures, hog pens, ETC.,
than you had in 1914. Staying out
of debt and raising what you con
sumed on the farm enabled you to
hold your cotton until the price
justified the sale.
Now, having this experience,
would it not be the height of folly
for you to plant another big &C
reage of cotton and make a big crop
and sell it for n half that you
would get for a small crop and
have to buy everything you consum-
ed on the farm? Only watch the
trend of the market. On account
of the talk of big acreage for this
year the market has been steadily
going down and has in the last few
weeks fallen off five dollars per
bale. This too Notwithstanding the
small 1915 crop.
Now my dear friends, would it
not be wise on your part to take
those future gamblers a shock by
planting a smaller crop than you
did in 1915; a crop that is sure to
bring you anywhere from fifteen
cents ito twenty cents per pound
and from sixty dollars rer ton for
your cotton seed; and US. the other
acreage in feed stn6s and the rails
ing of live stock. IF every former
in the south would adopt this meth
cd and stick to it, | feel sure VIZ
would get twenty cents for every
pound of cotton raised and # I'm
fifty to sixty dollars for every ton
of cotton seed.
| always commended that cotton
is worth twenty cents per pound
and shall as long as | live. No man
can produce it for less and make
a decent living. And you farmers
| should say we farmers is I ar
one of you, have The D-.Var II fix
a price and de naa1 il. INT IT, Il.
it effectively we must organize. II
is simply ridiculous for the farm
ers who produce the wherewitha
to feed and cloth the world to lei
the gamblers fix a price on his
products. And my fellow coun-
eountrymen, it is simply an insult
to your intelligence to permit it.
Let US raise everything that WI
consume at home, keep out of til
cans and foreign markets, buy fol-
cash, plant a small acreage in cot.
ton and agree on a price and 'aolt
on until we get it. Then, and no
till then, will you be the most in.
dependent and happy people OF
earth.
This may be my last oficia
message to you as my term viii
soon expire, not by your votes,
am proud to say, as the officia
count shows that I was the choic,
of the country and that you wer
well pleased with the work that
had done in your behalf and 20,
wanted me to remain at the hea.
of this important position, the onl
position that you and you alon
should have the right to say VIII
should remain at its head. An
right here I want to thank each o
you for your support and conf
denee in me. Our relationship dur
ing my whole incumbency has bee
pleasant and agreeable, but Nev
Orleans and the pink ticket metho
denied you of your right to selet
a man of your choice and bring
my term to an early expiration.
Hence, / ask you to act wissel
and not plant too much cotton TO
in my opinion, it would ruin yol
Plant more feed stuff of all kline
and raise more and better live stoc
of all kinds. Live stock are ne
only selling readily at fancy price
but they are great land builder
and remember this is an item t1s
should not be overlooked.
Unless we take steps and prope
steps, to build up our farm lane
which III fast deteriorating 0
account Of the constant taking Of
in short time they will become {
impoverished that we will not
able to produce one-half that "
produce now on these lands. W
should be as careful about II