The Russellville Democrat., 1892-01-28
RICE VERSUS COTTON.
The Best Solution of a Serious Question
 How to Diversity Crops.

HOW to Dlfersty SropSs
 The New York Shipping ard ard CommfeaEceial CommfEcial List of January 20 ad vocates the cultivation of rice in- stead of cotton. It says:
 We notice the following telegram addressed to the cotton growers of the South by Messrs. Dan Talmage's s Sons, of this city and think that it is most timely and full of sugges- tion:
 "Wherever the culture of cotton is curtailed we suggest the growth of rice. It is adapted to either lowland or upland, as an all-around crop is among the safest and most profitable of Southern crops; gross results, $40 to $75 per acre; cost of cultivation, $20 to $35; differ ence in outcome due to character of cultivation or season. The con- sumption of rice in this country is increasing annually per capita and at far greater ratio than production. The United States to-day needs twice its present production to meet it's home demand, and were the product increased even tenfold the surplus could be marketed abroad at prices which would leave handsome margin to planter"
 It appears to us that there IS little use to recommend reduction of the area heretofore planted in cotton unless at the same time there be some recommendation as to profit able substitute. All of the members of the late cotton growers conyen- ton might possibly observe their eminently wise resolve, but what about the thousands of men outside of its association and not in anywise under it's influence. As Sam Slick says, "It's agin natur" to do any thing for the other fellow unless one sees new dollar for the old one given up. It might seem unkind, but the probability is that, having resolved that there ought to be a re- duction, many, if not most of the members of the said convention, will go home and enlarge their own individual area in the expectation or hope that their other and fellow mem bers will have taken the resolution seriously, and So give them better chance to market their extra crop. There can be no question but what there ought to be less cotton raised, and the fearful and unsatisfactory results of the present year will not be lost if they shall burn into the mind of every planter the wisdom and expediency of diversity of crop. This lesson is as yet but halt learned, and the sooner that it is fully learned, that by so much as one raises at home he is indes pendent of outside and extraneous influences, the better. It may not be possible to guarantee pros perity, but a wise diversity of crop is certainly guard against diversity, inasmuch as 1t is rare that there is an all around failure. Many of our planter friends are now having practical illustration of the folly of putting all of their eggs into one basket. It would seem to us that rice offered a most profitable out come, and we believe that either it or some other food product is among the best. Men can do with most scanty habitation, cloth ing, or even tobacco and whiskey, but eat they must, and therefore to this extent are dependent upon those who furnish the food supply. Rice certainly would seem to offer the best solution at the moment in- asmuch as the outturn is far short of present requirements and any slight reduction in price would un- doubtedly stimulate it's further use and so ensure a good prompt mar ket for the grower.