Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-10-17
OUR HOUSEHOLD
CONDUCTED BT LIZZIE O. THOMAS


After a long. dry summer the rain
is falling. There was glorious
autumnal opening, but October has
brought rain that would have been
more appreciated in August. Cotton
is open. and no late crop promised.
so it hurts athe farmer to see it
wasting. But as one said to me,
Il have made up my mind to be glad
for the potatoes need the rain, the
ground is too hard to sow grain
and the water is out of the pastures.
1t is six of one and half a dozen
of the other. Even good grade
of cotton will not pay for lack
of pastures this winter nor for a
half crop of potatoes
And L fully agreed with him. The
farmer who sacrifices any other crop
for cotton is far from wise.
Corn makes as good a money crop
these days, and is safer, for if the
corn price drops there is no waste.
You and 1 know people who have had
cotton stored for years, not getting
a cent of interest and not sure they
are not losing. That amount of land
planted in corn, potatoes or beans
would have fed the stock, and in
their increase would have paid hand
somely. | know a man who has al
most nothing invested in cattle; he
doesn't even take care of them. yet
they pay him more hard cash than his
cotton. The cotton planter always
puts in more than he can reason
ably work, and there is where the
foolishness shows itself. Three
acres to the plow would not hurt
any farmer and then thes corn would
not be neglected, the garden could
| be plowed. the repairs made, and
there would be no big fertilizer bill
to take the little that is left from
| taxes. Right here, in this Tennessee
valley, where grass and grain are
natural products, hay is now $40
ton. and plenty OF farmers must
| sell cotton to buy hay. Is that
good business? | am not fighting cot
ton as a surplus crop.
| want you to look around YOU and
see the women and children that
| have been sacrificed, in your county as
| in every cotton county in the south
! They cannot start to school until the
! cotton is picked over Labor has be-
come so scarce that women and girls
| who are in good financial circum-
stances, must pick cotton or/see it
wasted, and the little children are
smuggled into cotton mills under al
sorts of pretenses. This is one ex-
cuse that the buyer gives for hold
ing down the price, Its made with
cheap labor"
Do you call the vitality and con-
Btitution of your child cheap prod
uct? That is what the extra amount
of cotton is costing the farmer Let
your three acres make three bales
1t will do it, or it is not worth the
time you put on those acres. May
be you do not help work your crop
Plenty of men do not. Put all your
time on less land than you plant.
ed this year, and see if you do not
succeed, you never have succeeded
make a change more work and less
land to grow in weeds. Last Weel;
I wrote to the women on the farms
This iss to the men, and l know thai
every WOmal. reading this will give
it her Endorsement.
The rain is still falling. 1t is !
cold, dreary sort of rain. There
should be a fire in every home wher
the chilly weather begins. Damp
ness is not good for old or young
Try to keep OIL coluS ana let us al
try to keep well and avoid Influenza
1.-The Merciful man regards his
beast''-in other words he sees thu
/ his animals have a shelter nd feed
Both are essential but it takes less
feed if they are warm and dry. Eggs
are going to be dollar a dozen and
butter as high in proportion. What
preparation are you making to sup
ply the family and sell enough tc
pay the cows board or feed the
hens? Live on home products and
il cotton rises or falls you will be
Independent and your family hap
py Some of you, those who this
really hits will say 'she does not
know what she is writing about
I've been in three states this sum-
mer and have had letters from TWEEN
ty. Prove your work or change your
| plans /