The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1920-12-23
Number So.

e'hrismus: des,ll had to eat taters.''
Now. this darkie is poor and ignor-
ant. hut no doubt his heart is bleeding
He knows nothing about the laws Of
supply and demand. nothing about for
ei.n exchanges. defiation or bringing
the country back to normal, hut lie
does know that he and his family have
lab0red faithfully all the year. that
Christmas Is almost in sight that his
little ones are expecting IA visit from
Santa Claus, and that de white folks
don put cotton down, and pepper can't
buy his ehillun no Sanity ella for der
-Chrismns.s and that deyal had to
eat taters.''
FARM NOT DIgERsIFIED.
realize that there will be those
who will contend that the cotton farni-
ers' sole income is not what his cotton
brings. They will argue that the farmer
raises practically everything that he
eats at home, and that if he doesn't he
should | will grant that lie should.
but we IRE facing actual conditions.
and not theories based upon the olil-
ions of others as to Whit the cotton
farHer should or should not do. The
average cotton ftrnler raises cotton
and PRACTICALLY nothing else. unfortu-
lls,tely. and even though there clould
| he found occasionally an unusually
thrifty cotton farmer who has COW.
Il few hogs and garden, is this any
reason why his thrift and industry
should penalize his staple money crop?
These who allege that. the cotton
farmer has a living at home and that
his cotton Is surplus or money crop.
invite yon to join that class of dreams
/ ers and sentimentalists who are con-
tinuaily rslnting about the beauties OF
farm life. the :. clean. sweet. fresh
smelling air the yine-clad cottage. the
singing birds. and 50 on. All of these
the farmer has access to with posi-
bic exception Of the vine-clad cottage
but it matters little how fresh and
sweet the air may be, or how. be;luti-
fully the birds are singing, il his toll
ings are not to be rewarded with some
thing more substantial than fresh air
and an occasional singing bird.
4 HARVESTING AVERAGE CROP.
Everything that has been written i'll
the foregoing has been based on the
farmers actually mailing and harvest
4 ing an average crol, of cotton. Total
, failures are made in some localities in
the cotton belt every year, due to
various reasons. No adventure III agri-
culture Is more hazardous IA fraught
with greater uncertainty Of success
than raising cotton. The Doll weeyiI
has practically covered the entire cot.
ton belt. The pink holl worm has ar.
rived from Texas and Mexico and
, threatens to spread as has done the
boil weevil. These are the two dreaded
insects to the plant. II d crop escapes
total destruction from either or botI
Of these pests, then the weather il
the factor.
With daily rains In the blooming
stage, the plant natures nothing, and
the years work is lost. If all OF tless
troubles are overcome and the plant
!. natures CROP. the weather again /.
Il factor. II the cotton can be gatheret
without rain falling on it the sample
, is good and brings the best price, but
if the gathering season should be un
, favorable, the cotton Is picked damn
!, and holly. with the result that although
hits cost is just rs greit as the goot
cotton. the grade secured Is penalizet
! in price from 30 to u, per cent.
/ CRCf FAILURE DISASTROUS.
{ There Is no section Of the Soutl
!. where some Of the conditions men
!. toned here have not occurred at som,
I time, resulting in a total failure tina
/ particular year in that particular 10
! cality. One crop failure Is disastrous
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