Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1921-07-22
Slanderers.

Slanderers.
DEAR DEMOCRAT:
There are some well dressed gen.
Itlemen that are well regarded as citi-
zens that if they were called SANDER
ers, would feel like striking the ac-
cuser. Yet they consciously or I'M
consciously SANDER their home town
or country.
A man reputed TO be millionaire
was in Natc.sez the early part of the
year looking for investments in land
While mere, in company with one OF
the local real estate men, he was told
by a friend of the real estate man, so
he says, that owns q plantation, that
corn could not be profitably grown
here.
Although the real estate man in
sisted that it could, the prospector
made no Investments. He naturally
believed the disinterested party in
preference to the real estate man.
The real estate man was right, as
has been repeatedly shown by the
record yields grown in the south,
which shows that the climatic condi-
tons here are favorable TO a large
yield Of corn when 1t is planted in
rich land. is properly cultivated and
gets plenty Of moisture.
/ once lived in a country where it
was agreed that alfalfa could not be
grown, but a farmer from Missouri
went to work to find out why, and
now alfalfa is the most profitable crop
grown in that country.
If some of TIE knockers here lived
in some western towns where people
boost and build their country and
towns they would be Stunned and
boycotted. These folks are very ac-
commodating and say land is too high
in price and that SO and so failed
and elaborate on it. 1t is true that
farming here has not been as sue
cessful as it has been farther north,
but the country has not always been
to blame. Farmers all over the Unit
ed States now are not receiving pri-
ces for their products in proportion to
the price of manufactured articles
and other taings he mas to buy and
Nay excessive freight rates on. But
sinners are beginning to organize,
economic and change their manage
ment and one Of these days an
equilibrium between the prices of
farm products and manufactured ar
ticles will be established.
Some of the reasons John Smith
has failed at farming in this country
are that ordinarily ne has three times
rs much land as he uses, and the
taxes and interest on the two-thirds
not in use consumes all the profit of
the oneJthird. He works IL to Is
acres per tenant, and if he were in
Iowa, would use better implements
and more horse power and work dou-
bic the land, thus doubling the in
come of each tenant. He buys meat,
corn, hay, syrup and mules that ne
would grow in Iowa and could in a
great many instances grow them
here for half what he pays.
In Iowa his land would be drained
and crops to increase the fertility OF
the soil would be planted instead OF
continuously robbing it. If John was
in Iowa he would do more Of the work
himself instead of trusting it to in.
competent and lazy help. He would
make every edge cut, using its garden
to its capacity and growing surplus
Of feed for livestock and marketing il
in the livestock.
With all the thrift and economy OF
the average Iowa tenant it is very
difficult for him TO buy small farm
in town and pay for it. The price is
90 high that taxes and interest con.
sumes all the surplus ne makes,
leaving nothing to apply to the prin-
cipal.
= Men that invested in Iowa farms 70
Or 80 years ago and stuck to it, today
are well fixed and have good estate
for their children. Many of them
have retired and are now living from
their handsome incomes.
The opportunity for investment fol
farmers that expect to move on the
arm and improve it and stay with
- 10 a. good here - e was in lows
- o. 30 ysars 90. Our alluvial land