Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1921-03-23

4
being done, even in this critical time
for Southern agriculture, to build
such safe and sane system of agri-
cultural production. Surely there
must be difficulties in the way which
the average business man does not
appreciate, or a course so plainly
right would be followed by larger
numbers. Beyond question the diff
culties are great. First, there are the
large land owners in the sections of
large negro population. Often they
do not live on their farms, but where
they do the acreage cultivated is too
large to be handled except on the
most simple basis of agricultural pro-
..uction. Cotton is about the only
crop which the negro can produce
under the conditions existing on these
large farms and pay the landowner
anything.
Moreover, this type of landowner
is not interested in building up type
of agriculture which will develop land
ownership and rural homes, satisfy
ing the aspirations of permanent
and contented rural population. They
are not interested in farming as the
banker is interested in his bank or
the merchant or manufacturer is in
terested in his business. This type
of farmer is interested in making his
"pile" as quickly as possible and he
naturally is willing to "plunge" and
take chances. Enough of them sue
ceed to make the gamblers chance"
attractive to those with big enough
ideas and resourceful enough to COM
mand large acreages and the labor of
large numbers of tenants.
Perhaps the second greatest OBJ
stacle to the building of well-bal-
anced system of farming in The South
is the greater ability, personal atten-
tion, and Investment per acre requir-
ed for well-balanced cropping sys-
tenn. And there is no denying, that
these greater difficulties have resulted
in a large number of failures, and
when successful the rewards have not
been large. The greater the risks the
larger the profits when successful.
Likewise the safer the farming the
smaller the profits even for those who
are most successful.
A correct system of farming does
not insure financial success. Errors
in operation under the best balanced
cropping system may bring failure.
The essentials are a more produc-
tive soil, two or three money or sales
crops and a reduction Of expenditures
for supplies which may be economi-
cally grown at home.
1t is not necessary that the addi-
tional money crops command as much
of the land or as much of the time
and energies of the man on the farm,
but an additional money crop OF two
must be introduced and these money
crops must be fitted into and made a
part of the general operations of the
farm. Since increased soil fertility is
the first need of the South OF at least
larger yields per acre are an absolute
necessity, the most desirable addi-
tional money crop or sources of reve-
nue. are livestock and livestock prod
ucts. Legumes are at once the best
soil improving crops and the best live
stock feeds and these facts alone sug-
gest that at least one or two forms
of livestock, or one or two kinds of
livestock products should be made an
additional source of revenue on most
Southern farms.
On one farm it may be dairy prod
ucts, on another beet cattle, ana on
still another hogs, or dairy products
and hogs or beef cattle and hogs may
be wisely combined. At no time is it
probably wise to make livestock the
sole sources of revenue of the farm,
and certainly this should not be done
at first. Of all lines of farming live
stock is the hardest and consequently
must be gone into slowly and eau
tously. But it is an essential part of
any safe system of farming for the
South, because our greatest need is
more productive soil or larger yields
per acre.-Progressive Farmer.
An Ideal Remedy for Constipation.
TT won1d he hard TO find a better