The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-12-26
smsllI Grain ana Grass

Small Grain and Grass.
Of the open or arabic land ii. Georgia how
much, or how little rather, is in grass or
even grain from year to year. Not count
ing the land that is simply Thrown out" for
rest. what percentage. of the open lands of
Georgia is devoted to grain and grass cult
urel The recent census returns shows that
very little is set apart for such purposes
and 1t is sad reflection upon the wisdom of
our southern farmers. No section of this
great countryis better adapted to grass and
stock culture than the state of Georgia
from one end TO the other, from the mount
tention is given to beef raising, or hogs or
sheep. There Is not a farmer in Georgia
who has given stock and grass growing a
fair trial but what saysit is a most profitable
business when conducted in proper man
ner. ~,st
1t is a fact that Georgia can no longer
compete with Texas in growing cotton or
Ohio in growing corn. For years and years
it has been impossible for us to export the
latter as we cannot, do not, grow enough
even for our own use. And while, OF 40.
count of the lack of factories, we are COM
PEELED TO export our raw cotton, we do it at
an actual loss. The aggregate Of our cotton
exports makes . fine showing, it is true, bu.
individual experience says i5 is grown at
Toss three years out of five, taking the past
fifteen years as test
Our farmers recognize that cotton grow
ing-to the extent that we grow its
losing business, and vet they do not know
how TO turn it loose and go into something
else. Each one waits for his neighbor to
make a change. fearing to risk his own
judgment. it appears, and make the change
that he feels is called for. So it goes On
year after year cotton aud corn, cotton and
corn cents cotton and so cents corn.
- IL - 49,
how can farming be made profitable bust
ness by the mass of farmerss The average
yield OF cotton in Georgia is less than $50
pounds lint per acre and tho average of corn
is less than 10 bushels per acre. These are
the averages of the nearly 5000 900 of acres
planted to these crops in Georgia. While
some make more than these amounts per
acre others make less. The above figures
are higher than the average.
The average gross returns per acre is in
the case of cotton about $40 per acre and in
tho case of corn about IS. OF course it
costs more to put the 140,odd pounds cotton
on the n1arke5than it does the 10 tcsll il TO-
though it is not that much bushels Of corn.
So the difference in the actual results is not
much
The 1-horse farm is the unit Of southern
farming. though, of course, with the
improved implements of the day
3-norse or 4-horse can do more
Of 1-horse farm IT the Improved imple-
ments are utilized in the fullest manner. A
1-horse farmer can take little or no advan-
tage of the improved implements. He may
be said to have made no advance npon the
practices of thirty years ago.
The clean culture-we call it clean,
though it is far from 1t in many instances
of the past thirty years, or forty or fifty
years, has brought out lands il such con-
dition that they will no lon ger produce very
profitable crops even with the. aid OF COM
7nercial manuTes. These lands can he Gull
tivated in hoed crops no longer. '.''
They must be planted in those crops that
will permit of a restoration of that element
OF fertility that is so essential and that has
been sacrificed almost entirely In the past
thirty yeats--hun3us. .-...--
Land that hos been robbed Of humus or
vegetable matter cannot te made to pro-
duce profitable crops Of cotton or corn,
even with the use of commercial fertilizers.
There is onlY one way to make such lands
profitable aud, re,tore them to q state Of
fertility that will enable them again to
make profitable crops Of corn and cotton.
and that is to SOW them down In grass or
grain; in the case of the latter alternating
with pease or clover. ..........
The longer we defer putting this practice
Into operation the longer will it be before
Our lands are restored 10 condition fitting
them tor profitable crops. 5. A. c.
LOSS Of ANN onia in Fermenting Cot
ton Seed.
Will you please tell me II cotton seed ex-
posed to the weather loses much ammonia,
and il sprinklinR with sulph. lime or
land plaster will hold it, | notice, by the
Sense of smell, that ammonia is escaping
from pile of cotton seed, dumped in the
field. J. A. M.
Cotton seed exposed TO the weather any
length of tins-until they get thoroughly
wet-will lose considerable amount of
ammonia. A very slight quantity set free
viii give a strong odor of ammonia, how
ever. It is very good plan to sprinkle the
seed freely with land plaster, and then throw
on several inches of soil This will prevent
Any waste. The soil above will prove ef.
fective in preventing loss OF ammonia.