The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1896-02-13

| South. It is only since a part of this
| energy has been diverted to the raising
of home provisions that we begin tossee
a glimmer of agricultural hope and that
farmers everywhere are better able to
enter on the work Ct another crop.
This is the whole situation in nut
| shell. Its universal adoption cOmpre-
hends the reduction of the acreage, the
lessening of the cost of production and
the prosperity of our agriculture. Un-
like the farmers Of many other coun-
tries, there is no power which can die
tate the course of southern men in this
matter. The decision must be reached
kthrough their own convictions and the
responsibility rests ON them to deter
mine whether they will risk the bond
age of large cotton crop, and probable
debt. or less cotton, ample provisions
and independence.
In making this decision, let us keep in
mind that with the same labor we can
by careful selection of land and judi
clous preparation, 1nanuring and cult
walton nearly double the yield. while
other expenses, except picking and GIN
ming remain about the same. The bet
ter the Land the more manure 1t will
bear and we can thus, in @ measure.
substitute fertilization for labor. AS it
is not the number of bales, but the pro-
tit in those bales. which Is most impor-
tant to us, it follows that we should use
every means to reduce tho cost of pro-
duction. We may manure good land
with less risk, indeed it does not pay to
waste labor and manure in raising cot
ton on dead poor land. Such land
should either be reclaimed by judicious
| !, ~
crops or, If that is impractibie, left to
the kindly offices of Mother Nature.
We can thensconcentrate our forces Of
labor and fertilizers on the more fertile
portions.
| FOOD SUPPLIES.
Under the prevailing condition of
European affairs nothing is more prob.
able than an advance in the price Of
food supplies Of all kinds. A European
war would certainly annihilate cotton,
and raise the price of all bread and
food stuffs. A short time since the
mere rumor Of war between England
and Germany caused decided advance
in breadstuffs in the Chicago market
We should heed these warnings, and
prepare should the unsettled condition
of European affairs result in war, to be
independent of that disaster, which we
can only do by having a full stock Of
provisions on hand.
That we are learning to remedy our
past mistakes, the following figures,
taken from the crop returns, will bear
evidence. And that to these facts the
present improved condition of farmers
is largely due, is too apparent to re-
quire argument:
The south's grain crop for "a was
Gil, 100000 bushels, valued at $780,.
0O0,m more than the value of the entire cot
ton crop. The yield for 'e5 will probably
reach so, 10000 bushels more than for
'94. This fact, and also the interest in
manufactures. the diyersihcation of
farm products, the development of the
fruit and truck industries are all unit
ing to retain at home large part Of
the mony that formerly found its way
north and west for the purchase of arti-
Giles which we find we can produce
cheaper at home.
FERTILIZERS UNDER NAMES.
To put the farmers on notice as tc
certain brands of fertilizers, which are
being offered for sale under misleading
names, we quote the following from
our last fertilizer bulletin. These bull
letins are valuable to farmers, and to
! obtain them it is only necessary to ap.
ply to the Georgia Department of Ag-
riculture, Atlanta, giving proper ad-
dress. The department has had good
deal of trouble recently from the efforts
of companies outside the state to boom
certain inferior fertilizers and has re-
ceived hundreds of letters from farm
ers enquirirg as to the merits of these
brands.
The bulletin says:
1.-THE sale of the above Bone Phos-
phate Fertilizer, Special Crop Formula
and Paine's Cotton and Corn Fertilizer
is forbidden under such names, as they
violate the spirit of the Fertilizer Act,
which requires total of 10 per cent Of
available plant food.
'The Bone Phosphate Fertilizer must
be sold for what it really is, and not by
a name indicating a complete fertilizer
tits simply Florida soft phosphate. with
trace of potash.
"The special Crop Formula must be
sold for what it really is, and not by a
name indicatinga complete fertilizer.
1t is soft phosphate with potash.
Bales Rust Preventive should be sold
| as common salt ana not maSQ uerade
under the name Rust Preventive, which
conveys the impression that it con-
tains potash. 1t is 9464 per cent pure
salt.
Glow priced fertilizers are much to
be desired, but deceptive names must
not be used to make inferior goods ap-
pear of average character Such prac-
tice works great injury to the farmer
in inducing him to use goods under q
misrepresentation as to their true COM
position.
There Is material now being sold in
Georgia which is attracting considera-
BILE attention on account of the extern
sive advertising which has been given
it and the broad claims which have been
made. This material is the Soft Phos-
phate of Florida.
These phosphates only contain be-
tween 2 and per cent of available
phoSphoric acid and in no way repre-
sent the acid phosphates of the market
which contain from IS to Ia per cent Of
available phosphoric acid.