The Bossier banner., 1920-12-30
Living on Fat Of Land,
But Not From Cotton

We learned the latter part Of last
week Of the 1920 success Of Bossier
Parish farmer that we want to pass
along to the reading publc of the par
ish. And this Particularly for the .rea-
son that no cotton was planted-not
ia lock-
We have in mind Police Juror Il. NJ.
coyle. of Ward Four, A representative.
resident of Plain Dealing, while III the
Banner office some days ago, said that
some one asked AIr. Coyle how the de-
cline in the price of cotton had effected
him. Not ut all. was the reply. And
then the speaker went on to explain
that no cotton was planted on his place
this farming season, but that he had
made about 800 bushels Of corn, plenty
of sweet potitoes, etc. and 3OO gallons
of good syrup, and that lie had plenty
of hogs and an abundance Of velvet
beans in his fields on which to fatten
them. And fat mules, herd Of cattle,
dairy and poultry products and such
other things as are incident to well
conducted farm are not mentioned.
1t looks to the writer as ii Mr.. Coyle
| and his folks are living on the fat Of
| the land, and not so much as one stalk
of cotton has had anything to do with
bringing it about. It's just thrift, good
management and foresight. That's it.
And as the blessings Of life don't come
singly, We'll bet there Is somewhere on
Mr.. Coyle's place a good possum dog. a
big persimmon grove and fat 'possums
prowlins around nightly. The fitness
Of things generally would bring all this
/ to pass.
/ This story is gievn here more as Il
news item than otherwise, but should
it result in winning some of our good
farmers, away from the one-crop idea
and the credit system we won't care
and no one else will care, as to that.
i II a bit Of comment would here be
appropriate we would like to add that
the credit system has for years been Il
curse to, the South. That the planting
of too much of our acreage to cotton
has been something Of Il twin curse,
is now becoming generally admitted.
There is a way to live happily on a
farm. surrounded hy about all the
needs of life. If one has strength and
health and the will to do So 1t takes
hard work and gotHd management ftlle
same as III MI other callings) mud the
very first step IN this enod management
is going 10 he cotton sas d sarpl.s ..
HtoaeH crop. This has been advocated
by NJ newspaper FARMERS for years, s,s
pecIaiiy for the small farms Of the up
hands, and many won't hear to II. Rul
IT YOU will read between the lines yot
will learn that the change is comm;
about. Some other things the farmer
is going to have to learn about are th,
value Of grade and pure-blo0d stock
the importance OF wholesome suppl,
! Of water for man and beast. rotation
Of crops. the restoring of the soil d
the farm. terracing, bee culture, poultr.
culture. and so on. With good manage
nlent and dependable labor there i
time and the means for the successful
accomplishment of all these things.
The first one hundred BOssier parisl
farmers who begin next year to farl
! as Mr.. Coyle did this season. plus
small acreage planted to cotton. ar
going to be the first hundred farmer
of the parish to learn how to really liy
: well on Il farm. This plan of fslrmin
once established and the long hope
for cash system once fairly inaugurate
!. the entire country will be 100 per cen
better off.