Typed as spelled and written
Lena Stone Criswell
THE MARLIN DEMOCRAT
Eighteenth Year - Number 38
Marlin, Texas, Wednesday, October 2, 1907
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TRUCK FARMING IS PROFITABLE
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Some Results Obtained by a West-
side Citizen.
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The existence of the boll
weevil or the declining price of cotton does not affect J. B. Butts of the
Pleasant Grove community.
Mr. Butts has learned the lesson of
experience. Until a few years ago he was a grower of cotton. One
year he had to sell his work mules to pay the expenses not tring to make a
cotton crop. That was enough for him. He said good bye to cotton
once and for all.
He turned his attention to the raising of
something to eat--for people must and will eat and they must and will have feed
for their stock. While others planted cotton and mortgages, he planted
potatoees and hogs. His harvest has been abundant. In a few years he
has he has paid for a fine farm, several hundred head of hogs, a nice lot of
cattle, horses and mules, has money in the bank and taking life easy.
This year Mr. Butts will make $50 per acre
above expenses, on the land in cultiuation (sic) on his farm. There is not
a man in Texas that will do as well with cotton. He planted 18 acres in
Irish potatoes which yielded 60 to 70 bushels per acre, a very light crop, which
he sold for $825. He then planted Spanish peanuts on some of this same
land and will make several hundred dollars out of them.
He planted sweet potatoes on some other
land, which yielded 85 bushels to the acre, also a light crop. But the
price is good and he will easily clear $50 an acre on them.
Besides this, he sold $1,315 worth of hogs
and has on hand $2,000 worth yet. Of course he did not raise all these
hogs this year, but he has been raising, buying and selling.
His net profits from his truck farm and
from his hog farm will be close around $2,500 this year.
He once had an idea of going west, but
after learning some more about Falls county, by practical experience, he has
decided that he will manage to stay here awhile longer.
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Copyright permission granted to Theresa Carhart and her volunteers for
printing by The Democrat, Marlin, Falls Co., Texas