The Kosciusko star. (Kosciusko, Miss.) 18??-1898, 1895-02-15
STIRLING FACTS.
From Pad page.)

average pTodUc,loii % '''' i'''.' "
AVON ,,o9 culing the ten years OF the
,O .,or neriod IVES 1917 pounds per
Ia aro which is 23.7 pounds, or 1872
ANY, aont less than the average
PEI .i,Ss Of the preceding period.
;Thot does this actually mean?
y M, means no less than this, that the
j. of cotton which was pro-
1 1uced by 0,427, S42 acres, during
Ia 1S76.1S79 period, required H.
l ooo oo0 acres during the second
0--' No less than 1885, O5S
P iores more had to be cultivated to
s s' the same weight of cotton.
~. .nl today, upon 100000 coo acres,
' excess of acreage required >
r 600 acres. The situation pre-
o oentpd bv the above table is de-
"lorabie. Fallen prices and a re
f5uced product per acre.
METHODS OF CULTIVA-
TTON OF THE COTTON
CROP.
The figures given in the last brief
,.ble show that the producing
mower of the cotton lands has de-
ppEnpd under the modes of farming
allowed. especially during the de-
cade ending with 1890. Also,
with the falling prices and declin-
mo Weld a vast expansion of acre
,re took place. This great expan-
sion is the first cause of the de
creasing pro uct per acre. Old
planters are striving to keep in
crop the same breadth planted un-
dor other conditions, and new far
mers are attempting to handle
tracts quite beyond their control
and the result il what we have
feen-a growing area and declin-
ing yield. This tendency to vast
expansion CT the planted area is
r,dicallv wrong. 1t is the direct
opposite of the tendency in other
branches of intensive agriculture,
and in all other industries where
we see capital and labor being con-
cent ated.
We believe the first step to be
taken is 10 cut down the acreage
and concentrate capital and labor.
Let the present lands drop OUT of
cotton, and be planted in green
crops for grazing, or green manur-
ing; or let them lie still, and ma
ture will slowly revive them
Concentrate power upon those
lands which viii respond at once
Now, whether an acre of land pro-
duces 100 or 800 pounds of cotton
many of the factors of cost are APP
proximately the same. The rent
and taxes are not relative to pro-
ducton; the breaking and clearing
ofnew ground, piowing, seed, Gull
tivation, chopping to stand, and
all such processes, cost no more on
good than on bad land. 1t may
cost less to pick an acre Of 100
pounds than of 800 pounds, but
who will compare the expense oil
picking these 300 pounds from one
acre with the cost of gathering the
same weight from three acres?
Upon the reduced area planted
in cotton more modern system OF
cultivation must De practiced. In
the plain acts Of culture we must
be more thorough. Let the ground
be well ploughed, which will be
possible with less to pillow, and
what is equally important, it can
be plowed at the right time. Let
the planting be done carefully and
at the right season, which will be
possible upon a less acreage.
lhoroughness Of cultivation has
been shown to be the greatest
economy. In 1892 thirteen prac-
ncal Texas cotton planters under
took to furnish statements to the
pexas Agricultural College and
Experiment Station of the actual
cost and production Of their res.
pectlve crops (see bulletin of that
institution No. 26), and the follow
Ing are the data rendered. To en-
pnaslze the value of concentration
OF capital and labor, we divide
nese statements into two classes
'hose where the cost of cultivation
exceeds $40 per acre, and where it
is less:
q. Cost Pounds Cost pei
sM'ements- per acre per acre b., cts
A1age OF s SS2 73 642 ST.
AVage of o 1901 267 So