The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1916-10-06
LETTER FROM PRO-
GRESSIVE FARMER.
iom Smith, of Oxberry Community,
Strikes Note of Optimism
First Voiced in Some Time.

ana about the county's being in the
worse condition in years. Let's look
at the bright side of things for
while. Think Of the latter part of
the SOS and the early part of the
9O's when cotton was worth from 7
to- l3 cents, but in single season
dropped to 5 cents. AS at present,
everybody was heavily in debt, and,
with cotton at from 4 to Z cents for
ten years, the people faced more
trying situation than at present.
The people from the A. & NJ. Col
lege teach US that we can plant and
properly vultivate five acres to the
mule and can produce therefrom two
bales per acre. At prevailing prices,
bale of cotton together with the
cotton seed therefrom will produce
revenue of 500 to $125; whereas,
Ill the COS five bales would be re-
CURED to produce like revenue. In
the 9O's the seed just would pay for
the ginning and the hauling to mar
ket; now, the seed are worth more
than the bale of cotton was worth
In the 9O's. Then the common milk
cow was worth from ten to fifteen
dollars; now, from twenty-five to
fifty. Then a man would drive a
oeef to the shade, kill it, cut off it's
head and feet, hang the hide on the
fence where it soon became worth
less thru decay; after all of this trou-
Bile and waste, we could only obtain
3 cents for the front quarters and 4
cents for the hams. Now we can
sell similar beef, without butcher
ing. hair, hide and hoofs, for twice
the amount formerly received. Then
one could buy good corn-fed pork at
the slaughter-pen for from 3h to
4 Y cents; now, the porker brings
twice that much on the hoof. Then
sorghum molasses brought Is to 20.
cents per gallon; now from 40 to so.
Fryine-si1e ehieIse1rs thon brought
WI" SSAso VoSH, HOW 80 W % centS.
Eggs have risen in value from cents
the dozen to 25 cents. We then
knew nothing that would cure hog
ckolrea, as proved by the fact that
man living where l now live lost
IS head in single season; this year,
using few dollars worth of medi-
cine properly administered, with the
help of our County Agent, | saved
and sold about $3.50 worth of hogs.
In those days We knew nothing OF the
cure for ticks and Texas fever; from
these causes, we now lose about one
cow to ten then. Then, ordinary
people supposed that about ten thou
sand dollars worth of equipment was
necessary properly to can vegeta-
bles; now, with the aid and assistance
of our little Canning Agent, things
are different. She can take one lit
tie girl, five or six dollars worth of
equipment, the protection afforded
by a good shade tree, and form one
of these canning factories. She can
take one intelligent, Industrious ten
year-old girl, two-tenths of an acre
of land (one-tenth for tomatoes, one
tenth for other vegetables) and with
the assistance of the Shade Tree Can
ming Factory, raise and preserve
more food than the largest family
in this county can consume in whole |
season. Many people now say that |
they are sorry that they did not give
more consideration to canning club |
work. | think now, since their eyes
have gotten further apart and their
stOmachs closer together, they will |
put into practice some of these les
sons next year.
Some land owners and merchants
say that they expect to turn their
tenants aloose. This should not be
done; rather, we should all work to-
gether and try to get over the pres
ent crisis.
Notwithstanding the "back to the
farm" propaganda that is encouraged
by Uncle Sam and given publicity
by our far-seeing newspapers, the
trend Of population is still from the
rural to the urban districts. Show
me one professional man or merchant
who has returned to the farm and
over two years, and l will
show you twenty-five who have not
remained that long. People do not
hate the farm; rather, they hate the
overalls, the sun, and the manual
labor which are incidental to the
farmers life. Our Editor was once
a farmer, but now you could not
hlind-bridle him, one man leading
and another driving, and get him be-
tween the handles of the plow. The
farmer now sees that his sins have