Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1921-01-20
DOES THE HEN STOP
SCRATCHING?"

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this time. Some would answer this
Iby saying she does not stop scratch
Ling others would say she does stop
without being able to back up their
statements with proof. But those,
Iwho have observed the hen in all her
activities and watched her as she
lcared for her little family, know posi-
lively that she does not stop scratch
ling, but provides tae necessary food.
And we also know that the harder the
worms are to find, the more diligently
she searches and the harded she
scratches to capture the supply need
ed. She does not scratch for herself
alone, but for her whole family. No
matter if the picking is good today
and poor tomorrow, she remains an
optimist. She believes the worms are
there and if she only scratches hard
enough and deep enough she will find
the hiden treasure. No matter how
many other hens may be out scratch
ing there will always be some worms
left.
+ To the man who bemoaas his fate
because of the present financial de-
preston of the cotton market we would
say: "Does the hen stop scratching 2"
There ore other worms besides cotton.
They are hay, oats, corn, hogs, beef
cattle, poultry, dairying, sweet pota-
toes, vegetables, etc. How can we get
them? Scratch!
There is not farm in Mississippi
that could not support ivestocks of
all kinds and grow crops such as we
have mentioned, and thus make the
South self-sustaining. Mississippi
must porduce enough foodstufs for
local consumption if she would follow
safe and sane policy. n 1914 when
a crop was a drug on the market and
the slogan "Buy a Bale" was fami-
liar one, the people realized their sit
uation and commenced to scratch.
- Today we are confronted with prac-
tically the same conditions as in 1914
and we would urge the Southern
farmer to use the same prescription
at this time-Diversify. Grow all the
food and feedstuffs to supply the
needs of your own farm, your own
community, your own county, and
your own state. Live at home!
We note with alarm that in many
instances farmers are selling their
herds of cattle to get little ready
cash to pay taxes and meet some of
their obligations, and are holding
their cotton for more money. We be-
live this is unwise. The sale of your
livestock brings to you only Temporal
ry relief, and your second plight is
worse than your first, because you do
not have your livestock to fall back
upon. Besides your livestock is an as
set and not liability. The South
needs more cattle of all kinds.
We take great satisfaction in being
able to state that the farmers in COM
munities in Mississippi where they en-
tered the dairy and livestock business
and carried on diversified farming are
not feeling the pinch of the low pDice
of cotton, as are those who have fol-
lowed the crop system.
Annually the South buys from
northern states more than $500, ,00O,-
900 worth of hay, grain, meat, meal,
and flour. This in our judgment is
on economic error and is tremendous
drain Of the South's finances. This
money should remain largely in the
Southern States, where it has been
produced. How can it be done? The
answer is-Scratch!
Isn't $500, 900, 900 worth scratching
for? We have scratched for a great
deal less, and several times before we
got it. Sitting idly by will not remedy
conditions in the slightest. A policy
OF constructive cooperation backed up
by an inexhaustible supply of pluck
will do more toward solving our per
picking agricultural problems than
anything else we can suggest. Grow
cotton, but with all your growing
grow livestock and all the food and
feedstuffs necessary for consumption
on the farm.
It is not the first hen off the roost
in the moraing that gets the worms
it's the one that Scratches.