The Brunswick times. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 188?-1900, 1900-04-10
ADVICE TO FARMERS
LETTER OF COMMISSIONER OF
AGRICULTURE ON PRESENT
COTTON CROP.
ACREAGE AND PLANTING
Mode of Preparing the soiI-Farmers
Warmed to Pause and Carefully
Consider Their Plans.
ArnANrA. Anril ). teOo.

ATLANTA April . loVVs
The cotton acreage for Georgia will
be virtually determined during this
month and the present price of this
staple makes the temptation very strong
TO plant too much cotton to the neglect
Of other crops. We warn the farmers
to pause and consider carefully whether
she plans formed and which they are
now about to execute, provide fully for
all the supplies needed on the farm for
both man and beast When this pro-
vision is made, let the farmer plant as
much cotton as he can properly culti-
waite and gather and he is bound to
prosper, the degree of prosperity de-
pending only upon the price of the sta
pie. Let us get back to the good old
days when the farm was little world
within itself, making almost everything
needed by the family. Our older read
ers can remember the farmers were the
lords Of the land and the money lend
era OF the country. OF recent years the
scene has shifted and now the merchant
reigns supreme in the towns. while
the farmer borrows and the land mourns
weighed down with mortgage. The
''allcotton plan" may not be RESPONSE
BILE for the depressed condition of the
cotton growing states, but much is
chargeable to this cause. The trouble
isnot so much that we have too much
cotton but too few supplies.
Our farmers got into che habit of pro.
ducing all cotton to the detriment Of
food crops immed ttaly after the "war
between thg hates. when there was an
exorbitag inand for tho heecy staple
on account OF said war. and conse-
Quently prices reached boom" value.
Food crops. such as wheat, corn, oats,
etc, were comparatively low. AS soon
as the demand was lessened the prices
b gan to drop It was difficult to go
back to the old plans and the habit be-
came fixed, until we have been forced
by low prices and almost bankruptcy
to consider our condition, and form res.
olutions Of rstrenchment. Let US NOT
lose what We have gained, bataassh aa'''a'
I 81 memorabilia s14 Cause 81
great supply 81 hog and hcniny
For the past two years we have fnnde
much progress hlong these lines. More
wheat and grain and grasses generally
were sown than for years past More cat.
tie and better cattle are being kept and
raised by the farmer. Let the good
work go on. Cotton mills are springing
up like magic all over Georgia. The
lumber and turpentine industries are.
as well as the iron and gold ore, all do
ing we'll. There is and will be great
demand for grains and grasses, cattle,
hogs, poultry, butter and eggs. This
will bring into circulation more money
20 buy more cotton goods than for
years, hence we believe that cotton will
be a good price next fall
Concerning the planting of cotton we
advise that just as soon as the ground
has been prepared and all danger of frost
is over, plant your cotton seed. The early
plants, as gederal thing, produce the
best fruit. Dom t wait until the ground
becomes too dry to produce termination
of the seed. Run a harrow over the
beds, when they are not fresh, so as to
freshen the surface You can do this
with but little loss Of time if you will
arrrnge q small plow Immediately be-
hind the teeth Of the harrow 30 as to
open furrOw for the planter, or use
the planter with an opener. The har-
row will not only freshen the bed. but
remove clods and other obstacles anQ
kill the terminating grass.
When the cotton is ready TO coz
run your harrow over the
and this will aid you in gebsing 49,
stand and besides kill another, crop OF
grass. We prefer the planter that COW
ers the seed with the double.foot bull
tongue to the board, used with some Of
the cotton planters. We have gensr-
ally used. say 80 to rs pounds Of ferti-
hzer in the drill with the seed. This
gives an early start to the plant.
o. B. STEVENS.
Commissioner.