The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1896-02-20

crop or the previous year. Now like
causes will always produce like re-
suits, and therefore, as surely as the
sun rises and sets, just so surely will a
10000, 600 bale crop of cotton for 1895
result in the ruinous price of 4 to 5 cents
pound, while on the other hand. a
crop OF 100000 bales, following the
present crop of about the same size, will
just as surely result in price of s to 10
cents, or perhaps more, per pound.
Ii you are working 1.horse farm,
would you prefer to have at the end Of
the year a Ecant supply of corn, potatoes,
syrup, meat, etc., with ten bales 6 cot
ton worth $3.50, or would you prefer TO
have plenty of all kinds of provisions, a
bountlful supply of meat and seven
bales OF cotton. worth from $500 to $3.50?
1t should not take you long to make a
choice between these two propositions.
The first stands for increased cotton
acreage, the last for restricted cotton
acreage.
Again, look at the quotations now in
the New York market and you will
find October and November cotton fu-
lures at least half cent o pound belov
prices for February or March. There
Is no reason on earth for this, except
that the spectators have already made
up their minds that you ore bent on
planting large cotton crop, aud they
are forcing down the price in anticipa-
ton of big yield.
On the other hand, could it be posi-.
lively known that the next crop would
not exceed 100000 bales, cotton would
today be bringing from l to 2 cents a
pound more than at present, and the
quotations for next fall and winter
months would be still higher. If one
year OF bountiful provision crops, with
a moderate cotton crop. brought com
parative prosperity to the farmers of our
state, which you will all admit is fact,
what would be the result of ten years
farming on the same plan? Why, my
friends, we would be the most prosper
Gus and therefore the best contented
farming community in the world, and
our lands would sell for twice OF three
times as much as they do now.
While then so near prosperity, let me
urge upon you, not to hinder our adj
vance by any acts of your own. Let Us
not throw away the substance by grasp.
ing at the shadow. Gas did the dog IN
the fable, who. when crossing the brook
on log with bone in his mouth,
dropped the bone to grasp at the shadow
on the water) lest like the dog we Lose
the bone and fail to catch the shadow.
Let us press on in the way we marked
ont last year. Let us plant corn, oats,
potatoes. peas, sorghum and sugar,cane
In sufficient quantities to insure Us an
abundant supply, even though we
should have poor seasons. Let rs raise
even more hogs, cattle and horses than
we did in 1895. This way and this way
only leads to prosperity and independ-
ence.
QUESTION PLEASE tell me how to
improve my land so that it will become
more and more productive.
ANSWER 4. - The suggestions from
this department upon this subject are
intended, of course, for the average
farmer of the state who has no money
to throw away or to risk upon costly ex-
periments, but who wants information
obtained from the experience Of others
which can be put into practice cheaply
and effectively.
There are practically but two ways
of improving the soil
1. Mechan ically.-Draining subsoil-
ing, etc.
3 Chemically.-Adding plant food to
the soil i'll any manner whatever.
8. Every intelligent man knows
some of the advantages of drain
age; it makes the soil warmer; it
keeps the plant food from becom-
ing too diluted and leaves it in a
proper form for absorption by the plant;
it permits free access of air to the roots
of plants; it brings about decomposi-
ton Of organic matter and prevents the
formation Of hurtful acids. Therefore,
as one step towards improving the land,
drain all your wet lands where they adj
nit of it. This can be done cheaply by
covered bitches properly located with
ten or II inches OF rocks at the bottom,
or if rocks are not convenient N ne poles
from four to six inches in diaI1.eter and
with the bark off will answer almost
as well. With the low places drained,
then comes deep blowing and subsoiling
for the higher land, which will enable
it to hold the surplus water Of heavy
rains without washing and permit the
roots Of plants to run down deeper in
search of food. Your low lands being
drained and your uplands SUBSIDIZED,
you have done about all that you can
do for the mechanical improvement of
your land. OF course all lands with any
inclination to wash must be terraced, for
no depth Of subsoiling will alone prevent
washing Of the soil during very heavy
rains.
To chemically improve the Land.