116 COTTON 
in bringing on new crops of timber for future 
generations that are to need them. 
Still, the greater part of these so-called worn-out 
lands may he reclaimed and brought back to the 
fructuous state they were in beers the soil-robber 
came. 
The first step is this: Clean them up and give 
them the advantage of good appearance. If 
clothes make the man, good looks make the field. 
If fields could think, they would doubtless act like 
animals and men: to show their value they would 
wish to look well. Butto be covered with brush 
and thickets and gullies and the like is enough to 
make them shameful and little-doers. 
AMPLE REWARDS IN RECLAIMING WORN-OUT SOIL 
Treat these lands liberally and they will brighten 
up and respond gloriously. For every cent you 
spend on them in the way of better yo and 
clean faces they will return many. Every gullied 
wrinkle you remove will bring hope and earning 
power to them, and to you; the care and attention 
expended in grooming with axe and plow will pro- 
duce marvelous changes in appearance, productive 
ability, and commercial value. 
Possibly you have many acres of this kind of 
land. If so, reclaim them as youcan. Five acres, 
ten or fifty: work in this fashion as far as you are 
able. Winter is the time, and there is none better. 
You are not busy with details of work: your men, 
your tenants, have many, many idle days; your 
teams are inactive because winter is on, and no 
pressing work is to be done. Make work: employ 
men and teams in these old fields. Cut the thick- 
ets, mow the briers and brush: plow the soil deeper 
