Year: 1876

When one finds out the cotton
farmers in the South who are making
nothing, he is astonished at their num-
ber. Careful observation leads us to
believe that not more than live in
fifteen make any money Of the
remaining ten not more than half pay
their expense, while the rest come out
behind hand, and leave their merchant
70 bear the loss.


Even of those who pay out many
are so empty handed that thew cannot
put in another crop without the asss.
,ance of merchant.


1t is not any defect of soil or climate
that produces this state of things,
because the soil and climate of the
South, for agricultural purposes, are
not surpassed by any in the world.
The cause exists in the system of
agriculture pursued, AMI until that
system is abandoned matters will
stand as they are, ii they do not
become worse. The prevailing sys-
tenn leaves TOO much to chance. The
farmer puts all his means into cotton
planting, and takes the chances that
there will be propitious season. no
caterpillars, and last but rot least
good prices. Now oil he has is in
cotton, and unless those three chances
favor him, he loses. And considering
that any or all of them are as likely
to turn out against him as for him,
his prospects of success are not very
encouraging.


What the farmer must do, is to
lessen the chances against him. If,
instead of planting one large crop of
ono thing, he were t. plant many
small crops Of different things, he
would, while greatly lessening the
risk carried on any one crop, cores.
pondingly increase his chances Of sue
cess on the whole.


Farming is an art, and like any
other art it cannot be understood and
successfully practiced without great
deal of hard thinking aud working
He who would master the art must
bear in mind two things. Save as
much time as YOU can, and get out Of
the soil everything that i: will produce.
These ends are attained by having a
rotation as well as diversity of crops.
Much time that is frittered away, il
there be only one crop. can be used
with profit if there he several crops.
Again by rotation Of crops the oP.
portunities that nature offers are taken
in time, and the most valuable Of all
,ime is saved, viz: the right time.


But the most important gaih secured
BY diversity, and eqally by a rota.
tion Of crops, is the reduction of the
risk involved by the failure Of any
one crop, to a comparatively uuimpor
tant matter. AS no one season il
unfavorable to every crop, the farmer
by diversity, will b. pretty sure u
make up on one crop what be loses
on another, aud thus he emancipated
from slavery to the capriciousness o
weather. Lastly be who has but out
crop to sell ma, be ruined By decline
of price, but as a general decline o
farm produce must be very rare. ]
possible, the farmer who has man,
products to sell, will he compensated
by a gain on the price Of one thing
for bis losses 10 the price of another.


The farm should produce their milk
butter, pork, bay, corn, cotton. pota
toes. peas, vegetables, fruits. and tb'
crops that are The direct growth o
the soil should be made to follow
>each other in several seasons so tia
There will always be something grow
ing.


Of course no farming worthy of tbt
name can be carried on withous1man


~ I