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Newspaper Page Text
A SEMi-HoiiTHLYjJiKmAL for Farmers. — Stock-Raisers, and their Families. VOL 11. NO. 4. STAKKVILI.E, MISS. JANUARY 1. 190f> SO CENTS A VEAK. Truckers A *>m st ;int llort ictillur i*t • T. A me*. Agricultural *V»llcg«\ Mu, Truckers have a branch of agriculture that should by all means be practiced entirely on the intensive system of farming. There has been, and is now. a disposition on the part of some to spread over too much land, more than they have the ability , * to handle, if 1 miy b? allowed to say it, and surely more than they can do justice to with the means I they have at hand. This is no less true with farming than any other vocation. No more would we expect success from a man that has been managing a small store, it piacco in enarge oi a department store, unless he makes his way slowly, but surely, round by round to this place. When labor is uneducated, there is a limit to what one man can manage su'-cessfullv. Let me give an example. It is pos sible for a man to handle labor to cultivate, fertilize, and mulch 40 acres of strawberries, even in connection with other crops; hut when shipping season comes, what then' (‘rates arc Dot made properly, berries trashy, bruised, short and long stems, ripe and green, all in tbc same box, poor packing, rough handling, and surely low prices, lie cannot be everywhere at once, and it is hard t<* get a man to take his place. Were the acreage cut to one fourth, or even to less, I dare say the net profit would be larger. With inexperienced la- j bor, you make a mistake to at tempt so much. Your greed for gold has got the upper hand of your better judgement. Some men get rich by risky methods, but the chances arc against you. The possibilities of the money one acre of land can make is un limited. To say this or thatki man made $oju per acre on strawberries this and that year and f.soo on tomatoes, etc., docs not tell the limit, but it does tell one thing surely—he had good berries and good tomatoes and handled them well. Fancy goods will sell on aim >st any market at a profit. Where do the losses come from in extensive growing' l*'ir*t. the land cm ployed, un timely cultivation, inability to ftccucc a large enough quantity of stable manure, poor labor, expense in gathering, extra box materia!, poor pa king, and high freight or express. These are not all. but enough to make one think a little. '1*litre is a great drawback* in farming, there is a disposition on the part of the human race, to feel that any one can farm and ttiat no education upon this subject is necessary. I believe the chances are better for suc cess in any other calling for a man that docs not keep posted in his work than there is in farming. What steps can we take to benefit ourselves and others'.' I irst. by reading; and, next, by organization. If every truck ing section was well organized and had meetings rften to dis cuss the success and failure of this or that crop; if the members of the organization should agree to plant so many acres in this or that and at set dates, so every thing grown in that community could be handled in car lots, there would be a great saving. Better freight rates could be got by an organization. Better markets could be found. In other words, there is strength in union. The lawyers, doctors, merchants, bankers, miners, and almost every profession has its organizations. They meet to discuss the best methods to be practiced. To make a success in trucking where distant mar kets have to be relied upon, your success will be governed to a great extent by your ship ping facilities. Where small lots arc to be handled by ex press, your chances are slim. • • • • • A Plea for Mules 'I'. M. J.iuit**, lle/cr, Mish. Ki»i i ok < l.\/i i i i.: 1 will try to write again tor your valuable paper. 1 love to read letters from all parts of our good old state. I am glad that the farmers are learning some sense, or at least some ol them — that is, trying to live at home. If all that till the soil would do that, it would not be long till there would be men going round trying to get farmers to raise so much cotton at a good price, 15 ; cent?. Brother farmers, let us slick together ami claim our rights. I read today that the cloth and lace that was made out of one ' bale of cotton was worth $.stN>; and we do well to get j.itior : for it. We ought to have hall, for we are the ones that bare the burdens of the dav through heat ami rain to make it and through cold and wet to gather it and get it marketed; and then hear our merchant say it’-' justott , or K* cent. It makes me sad to think that we boys will be sm h fools still to buy corn, meat, molasses, and mules, to try to raise more cot ton when we could raise all of them at home. Then we would be able to hold what little cotton we can raise, till the price suits. We can raise go id mules, too. I have two, one two and a hall years old and the other one and one-half vears old, that 1 have refused $25>t» for. There is more money in mules than in all-cotton farming. Look out King Cotton, we want to put you down at the bottom of our list. You’ve been tirstall the time; but we are learning that you will keep a man poor if he depends on you too much. I b other, a good jack would do well here in this settlement. 1 would like to keep one on shares if he was a good big one. It this don't find the wastebasket, 1 will write again. Help your son. fly giving him a subscription to the (ia/ettc you will lead him to sucres.