The Georgia grange. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1873-1882, January 08, 1874, Page 5, Image 5

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Alabama State Agricultural College. The Alabama Agricultural and Me chanical College, an institution under the supervision of the State, is situated at Auburn. The State allows each county to send one student to the Col lege, such county depositing in the treasury one hundred dollars per year, for three years. This amount covers all expenses, tuition fees, board, books, two suits of clothes per annum, etc. In addition to the one scholar alluded to, each county is allowed to send two scholars who receive their tuition free. In sopite of these inducements, and the facilities to be enjoyed, the farmers of Alabama neglect the Agricultural Col lege, and fail to let their sons take ad vantage of systematic training in the science of agricultural, and the mechanic arts. Only twelve or fifteen counties are represented in the College, and the total number of students at present in attendance is seventy. This does not speak very encourag ingly for the interests of progressive agriculture and mechanical arts in Alabama. Something About Breadstuff's. The ingenuity of speculative theorists is taxed to prognosticate the quantity of breadstuffs which the world will need, and the quantity which the world has grown this year, in order to ascer tain whether the demand and the sup ply will balance. From all we can learn, it seems that the current supply of breadstuffs in Europe will be less than usual, and its people look to the American surplus of the “staff of life,” to make good their deficiency. England, France, and other European sections will require, in the aggregate, about two hundred million bushels of wheat. Where this enormous bulk is to come from is not clearly discernible, and, even if it is available, it will require, as the British Economist truly says, “ all the rolling stock of the railroads in the world, and all the inland ocean tonnage of the nations,” to move and distribute it. The most plausible reasons given by good authorities, as to the uncommon deficiency in breadstuffs in Europe, are partial failures of the rye and Indian corn crops, the potato disease in Eng land, and also the fact that of late years wheaten-bread is more generally used by the laboring classes of Europe than formerly. The late French and Ger man war has also contributed to the demoralization of the European bread stuffs market. The Baltic and Black Sea provinces of Russia, it is said, will also fail to furnish their usual surplus of grain, and therefore affect the mark ets of Northern Europe. All indications point to a good wheat crop in the United States and Canada. Winter wheat in California, and spring wheat in the Northwestern States, will yield large surplus. The Atlantic States, however, show scarcely an average crop of winter wheat, although the market is stocked with a fine quantity of spring wheat. Upon the whole, we believe that the unusual European deficiency cannot be met by an increased surplus in the American States, and that this fact, and the want of adequate means of transportation, will cause a considerable advance in the prices of breadstuffs. The Georgia Gazetteer. Editors Georgia Grange: Determined to make The Georgia Gazetteer the most perfect work ever issued in the South, an extensive and complicated plan was essential. Statistical returns from every county are being received, but owing to the large scope of terri tory embraced, the voluminous work of compilation, the recent financial diffi culties, etc., the publisher in justice to the public and himself, is compelled to solicit the favor of a short extension of time of his subscribers and patrons, in order to perfect the publication of the work. It is being pushed forward with energy and success, and the publisher and compiler will soon be enabled to announce the definite time of its pub lication. Jas. P. Harrison. Atlanta, Jan. 8, 1874. e Hemcmber. Let our friends and brethren in the cause remember that the associate of Justice is Wisdom. By their com bined action equal laws are formed. They alone can decide for us every measure of right. They enable us to correct the abuses of power, protect . the weak, and make us feel that the general welfare is the common interest of all. GRANGE,®- Northern Cotton Gamblers. One of the significant facts devel oped by the late panic, and whose les son it would be well for Southern planters to ponder, was this : The mo ment the stock gamblers and money speculators of New York, and their allies throughout the country, found themselves in hot water, owing to their insane work, they began to cajole the usually depised farmers and cotton planters of the South. In order to keep themselves from financial destruc tion, and to make good their losses, they flooded the press with “appeals for relief from the present stringency.” How did they propose to accomplish this “ relief?” Their argument ran in this wise : the people down South have three million bales of cotton for export ation ; they must let us have it at twelve cents per pound; this, shipped to Liverpool will readily command nine teen cents per pound; thus we will become “ masters of the situation ” again, and the very good margin of profit we shall make out of the differ ence between the price paid to the planter, and that which we will demand of the consumer, will fill our empty pock ets, and put an end to our financial trouble. This is a very good argument for the wolf, but a poor one for the sheep. If Northern operators get entanged in their own mischief, and hang them selves, what business is it of ours ? Is the planter a scape-goat for the sins of Wall street gamblers? These very appeals for “ help,” which came so frequently from this source, is an endorsement, however unwillingly given, of the power the South can con trol, but which she has wasted, or par alyzed, in allowing herself to be bam boozled by the numerous leeches who thrive by sucking her life-blood. The arrogance of the Northern money kings is superb ! and the stupidity, or willful chicanery, of their co-adjutors at the South, who played into their hands, and attempted to advise our planters to immolate themselves for the benefit of their enemies, is no less conspicuous ! We are glad that our planters, as a general thing, were equal to the oc casion, and after paying their legiti mate debts, and covering their obliga tions to home merchants out of their crops, refused to part "with the meagre balance of their cotton at “ panic prices,” but waited for a time when business should have somewhat regained its usual channels, and a better price be secured for the results of their labor. Os course, considerable trouble was caused, and is still being felt, by the sudden stagnation in commerce, forced upon the money market by designing men, and numbers of our fellow creatures have suffered, but the fanner can be independent—let him remain so. There is no reason why he should make a vicarious martyr of himself. Let every man suffer the penalty of his own transgressions. Press Points. The January number of the Rural Carolinian is at hand. It maintains its superior rank as one of the finest and most valuable agricultural monthlies in the United States. The Rural Southerner, published in Atlanta, by J. Ben Wilson & Co., is one of our most welcome exchanges. The January number looks as fresh as a daisy. We are glad this valuable home publication is meeting with the fine patronage it so well deserves. Moore's Rural New Yorker is a splen did farm and home journal. It opens the new year with the choicest number yet issued.. The Plantation, published in Atlanta, C. R. Hauleitei proprietor, is one of the chief ornaments of Georgia’s peri odical literature devoted to the farm and planting interests of the State. It is rich as cream in its original and selected matter, and unexcelled by any similar publication in its typography and “ make up.” Terms, $1 50 per year. IFood’s Household Magazine for Jan uary maintains its high reputation as a first-rate family literary monthly. I Its table of contents is varied and : interesting. Moore's Bee World, a monthly peri odical devoted to bee culture, and pub lished by A. F. Moore A Co., Rome, Ga., is a publication of fine merit, filling a valuable niche in the press, devoted to the development of our home interests. It is tilled with timely and interesting reading matter. Co-Operation. A few of the leading Southern papers, among them the Mobile Register and the Savannah News, have, from time to time, expressed the opinion that the Granges intend to abolish commerce by taking its legitimate elements out of the hands of merchants and manu facturers, and placing them under the control of monopolizing Grange agen cies and commission houses. On this head, the Register, some time ago said: “Is it not a necessity of civilized society that, by the division of labor and the proper sphere assigned to each member, commerce becomes the true bond of nations ? Who does not remember the signal and disastrous failure of the ‘ co-operative stores ’ and the sad lessons they taught to their unsophisticated victims ? If the return to, or the inauguration of, such system is the best the ‘Granges’ can do in the way of reform, we advise them to sell out their stock of Pagan divinities and return to the realities of life, as made by society Christianized and civilized.” This, at the time, was endorsed by our usually very correct and liberal minded contemporary, the Savannah News, which said: “ Such a co-opera tive feature is in direct opposition to all the laws of trade and comity be tween all classes and communities ; it is not the policy of the Granges to strike at legitimate commerce, which must flourish with agriculture, manu factures, the mechanic arts, and the general enterprise and industry of the country. Conducted upon just, recip rocal principles, each is important to the other, and are essential to the general prosperity. The farmer can not dispense with the merchant, nor can the merchant do without the planter—neither can prosper without the railroad and the steamship, and the surest way to defeat the good w T hich the Granges seek to accomplish would be for them to attempt to-establish the very system of monopoly for the over throw of which they have been organ ized. ‘ Live and let live ’ should be their motto.” It is evident from these extracts that some of our leading Southern journals still fail to comprehend fully the spirit and principles of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry, and (by implication, at least) assume that the Patrons harbor the absurd notion that the only way to abolish one monopoly is to substitute one of their own in its place. The knowledge of the theory of com merce, and the existant necessity for reciprocity of interests between the agricultural, manufacturing, mechan ical and mercantile classes, displayed by these journals, is essentially true; but these facts are certainly as well understood by intelligent Patrons, as by the conductors of these papers. As the Patrons of Husbandry have no desire to establish a monopoly of any kind, or to do anything which would cause injury to their fellow citizens, we can conceive no reasonable ground for editorial disquisitions on this subject, nor the necessity’ for mentorial reproof of the Order. An official circular recently issued by authority of the Georgia State Grange addressed : “ To the merchants, manu facturers, and to whomsoever it may concern,” throws all the light upon this “feature” which any reasonable man can desire. It is a plain, honest, prac tical document. It simply requests the parties addressed to “ do unto others as they would wish others to do unto them.” It shows that our Georgia farmers, organized as Patrons, seek mutual protection and mutual benefit by all legitimate and honorable means. There is no antagonism on the part of Patrons with the rights of any class of our fellow-citizens; no crusades, no exactions for selfish purposes. Patrons simply intend to manage their own business themselves, and a little better than it has been managed heretofore for them by others, who have not dis played an unselfish interest and regard for the prosperity of the individual farmer. Organized reformatory means are required by the necessities of the times. An honest demand is made upon classes dependent upon each other for mutual recognition and equality of rights, and this demand takes a prac tical “ dollar and cents ” shape in the propositions made to manufacturers, merchants, etc., in the circular alluded to above, namely, to “ share commis sions for mutual benefit.” The classes addressed are requested, in terms of perfect equality, to corres pond and deal with the Grange organi- zation, because they will share (to quote the language of the circular), “ a quid pro quo in the influence and cash patronage of associated members.” Why, then, should this be compared to “ co-operative stores, and their un sophisticated victims ? ” Is this to necessitate the Patrons to “ sell out their stock of Pagan divinities, and return to the realities of life, as made by society, christianized and civilized?” We fail to comprehend the meaning of honest purposes and common sense, if this be treason to the true and common interests of our people ! We feel assured that a more tho rough and unprejudiced investigation, and study of the principles and actions of the Patrons of Husbandry, will con vince every fair-minded man in the world, that all that has yet been done by the organization, especially in the South, has been laudable, and that the progressive tendency of its principles and acts will be in the direction of the general public welfare. Carnival Day in Atlanta. Not in any of our sister cities South, since the “late unpleasantness,” has there been wit nessed a grander Carnival Day than that of the Sixth, in Atlanta. In obedience to the com mands of His Royal Highness, Rex, all the people, notwithstanding the inclemency of the weather, like true and faithful subjects, gave up business pursuits, and devoted themselves to welcoming and doing honor to the King. The procession was one of the largest, and the dis play the most gorgeous; all industries of the city being represented. Some splendidly, ap propriately, and without regard to expense. We wish space would admit of a notice in ex tenso. Since this can not be, we will mention one or two, at the risk of being considered somewhat invidious. We begin with, we think properly, The Franklin Steam Printing House, the management and attaches of which did honor to that magnificent establish ment by the cordiality in which they joined in the general welcome. They were seated in a beautiful coach, drawn by four splendid grays, decorated with banners and other appropriate designs. From an improved power press mounted in the wagon, and presided over by the printer’s devil, who, by the way, was the observed of a 1 observers, was issued the follow ing proclamation: TOE HIS majesty’s “tROOLY LOIL” SUBJECTS —GREETING: Know’ ye that puissant Rex has, in his most excellent wisdom, appointed, and so heralded to every quarter of his royal domain, The Franklin Steam Printing House the Printer to His Majesty, and his loyal sub jects are commanded, by virtue of his successful reign as Rex of Momus, to have their cards, bill heads, and all other printing, carried to The Franklin, where a courteous wel come and a schedule of very low prices await them. By order of Rex, * Boss of the Realm. Hijimmy, Royal Chambermaid. Besides The Franklin, only one other printing house attended the profession. Our valued cotemporary, the Herald, the “people’s paper,” made a capital display, doing it in an original and recherche manner. The Herald, likewise, had a press running throughout the parade, and published the latest intelligence from the head of the column. Our neighbor, the Constitution, prepared for the occasion, but abandoned the privilege of appearing in the procession, perhaps because it could not appear without playing the imitator in the way of lo comotive power. It affirms, however, it will never do so again, but with the next visit of Rex, will lave four grays and four mules, with an Acton as master of the reins. The day closed with a brilliant masquerade ball at DeGive’s Opera House, where the elite, the fashion and beauty of Atlanta, and neigh boring cities and towns, was represented. This “Revelry of Rex,” outside of the pleas ure given, gave great assistance to the trades people and retail commerce of the city, and has given additional proof that Atlanta is among the most public-spirited and progressive cities in the United States. The Principle of Small Farms. Ihe Demopolis News-Journal says: In the southern part of Mhrengo, where very little colored labor is employed, every farmer is his own manager, and the result is, that they are making all the necessaries of life, and a surplus besides. Those planting moderately on upland farms that lie well, are doing particularly well. They are living in comfort, and gradually getting ahead in the world. Those landed proprietors who have paid any attention to stock raising, are prospering beyond any others. This proves that a diversity of agricultural pursuits is advantageous, and t hat small farms with the personal attention of owners, pay better than the old style. Indeed, the plantation and overseer system are played out. Owing to the difference of the svstem pursued, the rich canebrake portion of the county is becoming poorer, while : the poorer section is becoming richer every year. The Savannah A'eirs, universal!v ac knowledged to be one of the verv best newspapers in the country, and whose opinion in this respect is .“good au thority.” says: “The Georgia Grange, published in Atlanta, is one of the finest week lies in the South.” PRIZE essay. Diversified Farmins. Farming, to be successful, must pay, and he who gets the best return from his capital invested, without exhausting the fertility of his land, is the most successful farmer. How this can be done has puzzled the brains of farmers, no doubt, since the world began, but more particularly has this question been pondered upon since the fertility of the soil has been so much reduced that to make farming pay at all is quite a serious matter. Show me a farmer who makes money by planting turnips alone, and who claims that in A specialty alone can farming be made to pay, and I will grant you that either his theory is cor rect, or that he is an excellent mana ger and -worker. But the latter of the two admissions may be correct; then how can we decide this matter ? It is not at the isolated few that we must look who may be successful at raising a specialty by their superior tact or man agement—for such men would succeed at almost anything they undertake— but we must turn to the farming com munity as a whole, and find out by what course of farming the majority of them are most successful. Were the above question left for my decision —and I believe it is a correct one —I should un hesitatingly answer that the majority of successful farmers' are found among those -who diversify their farming. And the reason why must be obvious to all after a moment’s thought. A farmer to succeed in raising a single crop must have his laborers well in hand so that he can make a “brush” at the most trying season. At that season he ex pects that every hand should not only do his duty, but a little more than his duty, till the victory is won and the crop is as safe as human science and art and muscle can make it. If his hands fail him at this time, or if he has not so disciplined them so as to be able to count with almost certainty upon this extra effort, then the majority of his crop suffers while he is working the rest. With diversified farming it is very different. Here crop follows crop with such regularity that no crop suffers while the others are being worked. The question then naturally follows, what system of diversified farming is best adapted to our section with the labor we have? Undoubtedly that in which no two crops will demand work at the same time; where they follow each other as naturally as water dropping from the eaves of the house. Those crops are corn, cotton and wheat with the minor crops, such as potatoes, peas and clover, to fill up the interstices if any should occur. We commence planting corn, if the weather is favorable, the last of Febru ary, and while it is swelling and strug gling to the light, we bed our cotton lands. As soon as the corn is fairly out of the ground we turn back to it and give it its first ploughing, which should be done thoroughly with a long bull-tongue or scooter. The hoes fol low the plows, bringing the corn to a “ stand” and replanting missing places. While the corn is being ploughed the season for cotton planting draws near, and by the time the first ploughing of corn is over our cotton seed should be put in the ground. While we are wait ing for the cotton to sprout we turn back to the corn and give it a second ploughing with a sweep, after which, with the same plow we enter the cot ton field and sweep it so that the at mosphere warmed by the Spring sun may find its way to the tender roots. The hoes having finished the corn are now busy chopping out cotton and bringing it to a stand; and in the cot ton and potatoes they will be compelled to remain till summer is farther ad vanced, so that lucky is the farmer whose land so lies that he can check his corn, and sweeping it both ways, dis pense with his hoes entirely. After ploughing the cotton we again enter the corn and give it the last ploughing, planting peas at the same time. This ploughing should be done thoroughly, as from this time forth the com must trust alone to that God, though He sends His rain upon the just and the 1 unjust, yet allows a double benefit to him whose lands are best prepared to receive it. After bidding adieu to the corn we enter the cotton field and po- 1 tato patch, which claim our attention ; till the former lock in the rows, and the hitter cover the ground. As soon as this is the case the fodder-pulling awaits us—which, by the by, should be i abandoned in our section and clever substituted in its place. What rotation of crops is best for the improvement of our soil is a very pertinent question under this subject. If we can succeed in growing clover one year with another—and Col. Ham mond says we can—the following ro tation is, I think, decidedly the best, and greatly blessed is the land which will produce such a diversity of crops: «n rn x hcat cloTOr . Clover Cotton. Wheat Clover Clover Cotton Com. Clover Clover Cotton Corn Wheat Clover Cotton Corn Wheat Clover Cotton Corn Wheat Clover Clover’. With such a rotation, our lands that are compelled to be stimulated to pro duce ten bushels of corn would, with greater certainty, yield fifty. With these for our main crops, and rye, oats, barley, millet, potatoes, wa termelons, and the best of peaches and apples for our patches, what more could we ask ? And yet we are the greatest grumblers, to-day, under the sun. As Mrs. Partington would say, it looks like flying into the face of Providence to grumble under such circumstances. We should lift up our hearts in gratitude to Him who has placed our lot in such pleasant places, and ask Him for wil ling hearts and strong arms alone. With this prayer I cast these few thoughts upon the waters. B. For the Georgia Grange. The Labor Question. Randolph County, Dec- 15, 1873. Editors Grange: Among the many difficulties that still encumber our farming interests, I consider the pro curing of proper labor one of the great est. Laborers are scarce, and they demand higher wages and larger exactions in the face of the present hard times than they ever did before. It is not a deba table question, but everything clearly indicates and points out, that the farm ers cannot give to the laborers what they are now demanding. This situation of affairs I consider worse than the suspension of banks, the scarcity of money, and all the hard times that can be heaped up together; for it is striking at the root that gives vitality and prosperity to the country. If the farmers of this country would come up now and join the Patrons of Husbandry, and co-operate with the management of their agricultural af fairs, labor would not be exacting as it now is. Increase the numbers of the Granges and its Patrons, and I am well satisfied it will do much for the farming inter est of the country. As we now are, divided among ourselves, each man act ing for himself without mutual consul tation and plans, we must continue to be the victims of any organized class that acts through co-operation. But that, though, is a matter with the farmers to decide for themselves, whether they will in future unite and act by co-operation, or remain isolated and independent of each other. There is one thing very certain : co-operation cannot make matters worse than they are, while there may be a chance of bettering our situation through earnest persevering co-operation. We have had a trial by isolated action; let it be seen now what can be done by united action. Union. Emigration from Europe being steadily on the increase, the Government of Canada is making strenuos efforts to secure a share of it. It offers agri cultural laborers, all over eight years of age, passage from Liverpool to Que bec for sll. The Ontario authorities give to the emigrant on landing, or to any person or association assisting em igrants to the Canadas, $6. thus the actual cost of the passage to each emi grant is only $5. Emigrants who are not agriculturists, are required to pay $23; but even this low rate is reduced by the Government remitting five dollars, so that the actual cost of passage to the Canadas, even of emigrants not belonging to the agri cultural class, is only $lB. This is a practical way of inducing immigration from Europe. Columbus naturally grumbles about her taxes. The Sun says: “The as sessed value of taxable and real eatate in Columbus is about $3,250,000. Last year the city tax was two per cent. If $16,250 worth of the commons can be sold, the rate of taxation can be re duced to one and a half per cent.” Gwinnett county raised 22 1-4 bush els of corn this year for every man, woman and child in that county. Also, 5,561 bales of cotton, 31,058 bushels of wheat, 36,058 bushels of oats and 9,420 pounds of tobacco. 5