The progressive farmer and southern farm gazette., January 06, 1912, Image 1

About The progressive farmer and southern farm gazette. (Starkville, Miss.) 1910-1920

Image provided by: Mississippi Department of Archives and History

                
PLANNING THE YEAR’S WORK—Pages 3 and 4.
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A Farm and Homeiit. li u (c*., i
Mississippi, Alabama, Louisw Arkan °r
_T-nesse^r
II. No. 1. SATURDAY, JANUARY 6, _
I Better Farming and GstteT^nSa
WE have thought and talked so much about the low price of
cotton that there is danger that some of us may have con
cluded that the year 1912 finds. Southern farmers in bad
shape and that it will be necessary to wait another year for many of
the things we had planned to
get and do. Really, there is no
good reason for any such idea
as this. It is hard, of course,
that the big cotton crop of 1911
should bring more than $100,
000,000 less than the much small
er crop of 1910—both hard and
unfair, for the drop in price
has been out of all proportion
to the increase in the size of
the crop; but still it is well to
remember that excepting the
wonderfully profitable crop of
1910, only one or two cotton
cron ii'»- cajLftur history have
brought iv' muoi money as n ill .
thns v<v of ! 911. Tibs ;> • 1 ,
even if prices continue as rbyy :
are. If we farh#r- of the Swotiv ., ,
had farmed as we. should ’osi
year; if we had raised our own
corn and meat and hay and
mules; if we had produced the
■»i tl ....hi.. pOUllTV anU IFUCk HI1U Uail V
RAISE BETTER LIVESTOCK THIS YEAR. products to supply OUT home
towns, even though the cotton
crop had been as large as it was, prices would never have gone so low.
We had—or thought we had—-to sell at unreasonably low prices simply
because we needed the cotton money to pay for things we should have
produced at home.
Just about the best thing we can do at this beginning of the new
year is to fix clearly in our'mind the facts as they are. and then prepare
H to act upon them. We made a big cotton crop and have sold much of
it for less than it was worth, and naturally this does not make us teel
as well as we might, but there is no use for us to conclude that we are
"all down and out,” that "hard times” are due, or anything of that sort.
I The facts and figures are against any such conclusions. The South is
still in fairly good shape, and we are still able to go right ahead on the
paths of progress.
i Still less is there any reason for us to conclude that this is not the
year to prepare for and to do better farming. No more baseless con
| elusion could be arrived at, for it is the simple truth to say that last
year’s work proved disappointing simply because we refused to im-.
prove our methods. We knew that a big cotton croo raised at the
expense of other crops, would not mean the greatest prosper ity, but we
went right ahead and sacrificed other crops and other lines of farm
work to the cotton crop. In short, we took the wrong track, and not a
■"moment too soon can we change our paths and try the way of better
farming.
We may have less money to spend, but we have even greater reasons
I to do better farming. That the past season has been less profitable
because of the low price of cotton is an additional reason for the use
of more and better work stock and the use of more anti better labor
saving implements. This is no time, of all times, to slacken our efforts
to do better farming. Our needs for progress are now greater than
ever and instead of “quitting” we must take hold with increased de
termination and energy. In fact, the very loss from the low price of
cotton makes it more necessary that we strengthen ourselves in other
lines. This is the best of au times for greater efforts to* secure the
better livestock, seeds and implements needed to produce the best
crops at the least expense, and the worst of all times for in any way
relaxing our efforts for putting our farming on an economical and
do without these things means to bring on again, sooner or later,
another year like the one just passed; while to put our farming on \
solid basis, by a rational system of diversification and general farming
means to make ourselves so thoroughly independent that we shall neve;
again have to place our dependence in a single crop and neve*
again be unable to fight effectively in the markets of the world for ;
fair price for the fruit of our labors.
This, then, is the first message which The Progressive Farmer woul<*
bring to the cotton growers in this good year 1912: 'Filings are not jusr
as we would like them, but they are by no means as bad as some of u{
nave iou ourseives loroeueve, anu it ij
our duty to prevent any repetition
of the past year’s experience. It isou
duty because we can do it; but w\
can do it only by good farming
—by the raising of livestock am
the growing of food and feed crops
bv due attention to the fertility of ou
study of more economica
diction, bv more labor,
lessr
to work Him
because of the low price
In fact, while it may l>e
to restrict his expenditures in
ways, no reader can
lessen his expenditures for th
things which help him to
his earning capacity.
PREPARE KOI? A GOOD CORN CROP.
FEATURES OF THIS ISSUE:
A ONE-HORSE FARMER’S EXPERIENCE—Another Progressive
Farmer Success Story. 2
BIO CORN YIELDS OF SOUTHERN BOYS—These Crops Are
Undoubtedly Larger Thun Any Grown Elsewhere.
FARM WORK FOR JANUARY—l'rof. Massey’s Suggestions for
the Month .
HARROWINGS—A New Department with a Special Mission.
HOW TO CURE MEAT AT HOME—Methods Our Readers Have
Followed..
HOW TO LAY TILE—Mr. Springer and Mr. French Give Their
Experience.
HOW TO READ AND WHAT—Southern Farm Papers Are Best. . 1
JUST A HIT OF EDEN—Wlmt a Garden Lover Found in Mid
Winter . I
LAW TALKS FOR FARMERS—The Coach Stallion Cases—Ten
ant Problems . ..2
PASTURE AND MANURE PROBLEMS — Two Farmers “Talk
» Back” at the Editor. .
PUT THE FARM ON A BUSINESS BASIS—Don’t Try to Work
More Land Than your. Capital Will Justify..
START YOUR INCUBATOR NOW—Plain Directions for Han
dling It. 2
THE HORSE FOR THE SOUTH—Why We Need Draft Blood_ 1
WHAT CO-OPERATION REALLY MEANS—A Letter to Farmers’
Union Members from the National Secretary..a
WHY COTTON WAS NOT PROFITABLE LAST YEAR—The Folly
of Depending on a Single Crop..