The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1891-07-23

or lpromise, based on their cotton
crop, is the only collateral on which
the merchant Twill run" them for the
year. They never raise too many
bales, but always at too great
a cost. Full of hope ana
energy the farmer sets out to
prepare for the future crop. His own
labor and that within his certain con-
troll justifies him in planting, say
| twenty acres to cotton, but he rea ons
that his capacity is 90 per cent greater
aud that he can get help when III
tight" and so he puts in forty acres,
| Very early in the season he realizes
that he has undertaken too big a con
tract, as the help relied on is not pro
durable and rains and other viSitatlons
OF providence often prevent hun 1utly
utilizing the labor lie has. And so the
crop is situated and abbreviated and Is
no more than could have been grown
on twenty acres. One of the remedies
of agricultural depression in Texas Is
not less cotton. bur fewer acres OF cot
ton; with the land thus saved put in
some other profitable crop.
| 1t is true we seem to have reached
the point where the supply exceeds
the demand, and the excess of last
season bids fair to be increased in the
current one, but history records just
surplusages in the past that were fol
lowed by years of shortage. 1t may
also happen that the crop may be def
cieut in one section of the cotton
belt and excessive in another, so
that the planter who began the years
work with a prospect of getting 6 1-2
cents for his cotton, may sell at d reas-
enable profit. What that profit shall
ce depends, not altogether on the
price realized, but rather on the cost
of production. The largest profit will
be made on the bales raised on the
least land. If every farmer would,
next year. reduce his cotton acres by
half and discreetly use the reclaimed
acres, there would be little, if any, less
cotton made, and the new crop would
add greatly to the years income.
Cotton is favorlte crop With many
Who realize its tyranny because it can
be converted into money at any time.
But it is poor business to trade good
five dollar bills for three-fifty or four
dollars in silver.
What the new crop should be for
the acres vacated by cotton, must de-
pend upon the character of the soil
and available MAJ llets, but l would
suggest that one or more of the fol-
lowing would be found profitable:
Corn, oats, castor, beans, potatoes,
melons, peanuts and fruit, particular
ly pears.
TUaNIPS.
The time is close at hand for sowing
fall crop of turnips and if the land
has not been prepared for that pur-
pose it is time the work was done.
Turnips require II rich, well prepared
soil, loose and fine, on top and firm
below. To attain this condition the
land should be plowed Swallowed at
least month before seeding time, and
be thoroughly pulverized by harrow,
crusher, or other implement. Ifplowed
deeply it should be packed down with
a roller or weighted drag to bring it to
a proper state OF fineness and firmness.
The best solidifier of the soil is
good rain, and the best time to put the
seed IN is just after good shower
This ensures speedy termination and
a good start for the young plants. The
common practice is to SOW the seed
DfOaucdSt, Dub Ine mOSG experienced
hand will put it on more or less patcny,
and when too thick the labor of thin
ing out is great and tedious, and
if this is not done, the crop
will be failure. Drill planting will
always give the best return as the
singing can be done with the hoe and |
cultivation is possible.
Although turnips contain over 90
per cent of water, they possess consid-
erabie value as stock feed, and form a
valuable adjunct to the usual dry ra-
ton. In Great Britain the turnip crop
is considered quite as essential to the
welfare of the stock as corn in this
country, and without them the farmer
would not know how to run his dairy
or fatten his beeves. They are great
ly relished by hogs aud particularly
valuable when fed with dry corn. As
a vegetable for table use, they are
equally desirable and healthfui and
every farmer should grow a small
patch for home use, if not for stock
food.
NM