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

Burn Kiln of Lime to Be Used OH the
Farm as Fertilizer-Hardwood Saw.
dust For Young Fruit Trees, Etc.
QUBBTIoN IL have abundance of
Germ end meat to make cheap cotton
crop. Would you advise me to increase
my acreage of cotton? Yes or no, and
give your reasons.
ANSWER MY candid opinion of
any man that wants to increase his
acreage of cotton at this time is, that he
IS very deficient in business judgment
leo much cotton was planted in the
south Last year, and had the seasons
been suitable, the crop would have
reached $500, 900 or 100000 bales, and
cents would have been the ruling
price for it. There is disposition
among individual farmers to increase
their acreage in cotton on the ground
that there will be reduced acreage
planted and they will benefit by it. Ny
friend. this theory carried ont by all
the farmers-and very many of them
entertain 1t, would result in the largest
crop and the lowest price in the past
81 years. Contrast the condition Of the
state q this time with its condition a
year ago. Note how much better con-
tented and happier the farmers are, and
remember that the change was brought
about by reducing the cotton acreage,
aud increasing the acreage Of all food
crops, resulting in a fair price for cot
ton, and bountiful provision crops Of all
kinds If we are to continue on this
Road to prosperity. abundance and hap
plness, we must still reduce the cotton
acreage. and increase that of the provi-
sion crops. If you want to return to
cent cotton, scarce corn, debt, dan
ger and destruction financially, the
surest and quickest way is to increase
the cotton acreage, and IL months or
less will suffice to put you there.
There has never been a time in the
history Of cotton culture, when small
acreage was SO essential to the prosper.
ity OF the south as the present.
The cotton states need large provision
crops Of all kinds and 10 cent cotton,
and both can be had by reducing, not
by increasing the acreage in cotton.
Imagine If you can, our condition next
fail with a 100000 bale crop made,
corn and meat scarce, and war with
England on our hands! Your entire
cotton crop would not probably, in such
case, pay your guano bills. On the
other hand, imagine our county over
flowing with provisions of all kinds,
with 100000 bale crop of cotton
made; then war or no war, we could
get along first rate, and in the event
| that the world was at peace, our cotton
would certainly bring 10 cents a pound
No farmer need fatter himself that he
can steal march on his neighbors by
planting a big crop Of cotton, while
everyone else reduces their acreage. If
it is in your mind to do this, you can
rest assured that it is in the minds of
thousands of others to do the same
thing. Consequently, to attain the de-
sired result, each man must do what he
knows to be right in the premises, and
the outcome will then be assured pros
perity for himself and the state.
QUESTION 2.-Would you advise one
WHO'S just beginning, to farm on the in
tensive plan or in the manner usually
practiced? Which would be the most
profitable and satisfactory?
ANSWER 2.-This subject has been so
fully discussed in the agricultural pa
pers that every farmer should be famil-
lar with it. AS yet, however, very few
work their land on the intensive sys-
TEN, though obliged to admit that theory
and practice are both in its favor. By
intensive farming is simply meant bet
ter preparation of the soil, heavier fer
tilizing and faster working of the crop
when up. There is no question what
ever, and absolutely no doubt, that if
you will subsoil ten acres of land, put
upon it the manure that you would or
dinarily put upon 20 acres. and cult
vate the crop twice as often as you would
the 20 acres. then the ten acres so
treated will produce as much as the 20
acres, as usually prepared and cult
waited. The above statement is an AK
iom that does not admit Of dispute, and
YOU and every other farmer in the state
can demonstrate the fact for yourselves.
II you are afraid to test it on large
scale, try it on two or three acres in any
crop you please and l venture you will
then be convinced. If then you admit
that my statement is correct, the ad-
vantages of the intensive system will
at once present themselves to you. You
oan leave out half the land you have
been cultivating, letting it rest, or you
can put it in oats to be followed by peas,
thus getting it in good shape for an
other year. You will be rid of half the
labor of hoeing, and you will be i'm