The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1899-04-13
Commissioner o. B. Stevens Urges
a Reduction In Cotton Acreage
and Fertilizers Used on Cot
ton of One-Third at Least
From That Used the
Past Two Years.
He Also Urges "a Large Increase Of
Food Supplies For Man and Beast
For Home Consumption, as Well AS
OF All the Products of the Farm lex
cept Cotton) That WILL Bring SPOT
Cash and Large Profits In the
Markets. @#



A ATLANTA. April /, 1899.
The year. 1899 is memorable one In
the backwardness of all kinds OF farm
work, preparatory for the coming crop
The months of January and February
were almost entirely lost, and the nm.
stable weather into March, has retarded
the usual progress made in this direction
during last month. Under these cir
cumstances IL is a fixed fact that all
crops Of 1899 must be planted much
later than usual
Even with the corn crop in South and
Southwest Georgia, most Of the usual
planting in February was extended to
March, while much of the March work
of the corn crop in Middle, North and
Northeast Georgia, will of necessity, be
carried into April this year. But late
planting with deep and thorough prepa-
ration at the start, is much better than
slip-shod work and planting at an ear.
lier period. Every intelligent farmer
knows that more than half the work
is done. in making, when crop is put
in after this kind of preparation. But
there is one other reason why late plant.
ing and deep and thorough preparation
of soil should go together this year,
which submit to your reflection.
| refer to fixed natural law that
regulates the labor of farmers through
out the world, and enables them to turn
the sunshine and rain God sends us to
their own profit.
1t Is this: That the mean annual rain.
fall in any given locality, whether 10
inches or ITO inches year. does not
vary much, either in any given year or
series Of years.
In most of the states east of the
Mississippi, we have had an excess
OF rainfall. commencing last August,
and perhaps ending with February, for
this reason the possibility or perhaps
probability of drouth more or less
protracted during the growing season of
the coming crop would seem to be in.
dictated; an additional reason why deep
and thorough preparation and late
planting should go together, both in
corn and cotton this year. Every weak
point in every terrace ON the farm
should be looked after and repaired SO
that rains that do fall during the com.
ing months of crop maturing will be
consumed and utilized by the growing
crop. With perfect terraces, deep prepa-
ration and shallow culture afterwards,
growing crops will be exempt from
drouths when compared to lands that
are unterraced.
We have now arrived at the cotton
planting month of April, the most
critical in the history OF the entire
state. because on her agriculturalpr pros
perity all other interests hinge or rest,
either languish or prosper, upon the
decision of the farmers of Georgia
during this month touching the re-
duction In acreage as well as In fer.
tilizers of at least third from
that used the last two years. not only
in Georgia, but in all the other states
east of tho Mississippi, and as substan.
tial reduction in the acreage Of the
cotton states west of 1t. The imperative
necessity for the reduction will be seen
by short glance at the crops of 1893
and 1899.
The crop of 1897 was $3.50, 900 bales,
and sold for from to s cents. The
crop of 1893 was II, 200. 900. and this dis.
astrous crop brought less than 81 ,O0O, 900
more than the crop of 1897. In other
words. 2,5o0. 900 bales of the crop of the
1898 crop were sold at 4. 5Oper bale, weigh.
ing 5O7 pounds; so much for making more
cotton than the world needs, and allow.
ing the cotton spinners of Manchester
to set the price on the, entire crop, and
the loss sustained on the present crop
is much greater than on that of 1898. as
many millions of it were sold at 8 cents.
and some of it even less than this
There is now more than cotton enough
assured to supply the worlds needs the
present year, or until next September.
know that the farmers of Georgia
have been surfeited with newspaper
advice in the managemento of their own
business for years. but In this instance
you are advised by one who will do
more than practice the precepts here in.
culcated, both In the reduction of his
own acreage devoted to cotton, as we'll
rs the quantity of fertilizers used by
him this year.
Georgia made more cotton than both
the Carolinas in 1898 and manufactured
less Of 1t than either, while the two
Carolinas united consumed the entire
crop of North Carolina and reduced the
cotton crop Of South Carolina 100. ooC
bales in 1898. Georgia uses one. fourth
of all the fertilizers used from Maryland
and Virginia to Louisiana, includins
that used on the wheat of the first ant
the sugar cane of the lasti She ha.