The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1900-01-29
PITCHING THE CROPS.

PITCHING THE CROPS.
The time Is now at hand for deciding
the relative acreage and the particular
location OF the several kinds OF crops
that are TO be grown this year. The far
mer gets plenty OF advice land good ad-
vice. much Of 80. and IS not required
TO pay the adviser. IL Is remarkable
fact that advice IS about the only thing
nowadays that goes free TO the farmer
Now. there IS no purpose whatever on
my part 10 make light OF the work
that Is being done by commissioners or
agriculture. editors OF political newspa-
pers. merchants. etc. Due credit ~ freely
given FOR absolute sincerity and an I'M
selfish desire 10 sec the farmers happy
and frosperous I also believe that II
would be a wise thing for the farmers,
as a whole. 10 actually reduce the ag-
s-rena.e area in cUtton. II requires no
elaborate argument To prove that II the
area IN cotton be cut down one-fourth
tne aggregate product Of cotton bales
would faI on not less than one and a
half n two millions 81 bales as compared
with tine usual average aggregate. The
proposition is just as plain az twice two
Is four" IL is equally evident that II
The production be lessened by that
amour; the price would go up
.r cents Ter pound. Every farmer hav-
ing thimbleful of sense knows that
both az these propositions are true. j
10 any time iu the "dm distant past he
I-1 NOT know shat "a greatly reduced area
would result iu a considerable reduction
81 agGrelai. product. and that "a small
crop Will command a higher pound price
than "a large crop. ne has had 'iine upon
liue." in the way of argument and tNhor-
raliun. and an abundant experience 10
teach him these fundamental truths.
But suppose a farmer. or a few farm
er~. NOT enough To produce any appre.
si8hIe effect one way or another on the
general area and resultant production.
should i'm good faith aud with patriotic
purpose conclude 90 make a decided de
ease in their cotton areas. What as
-Uranee have they. except blind Faith In
human nature. that enough farmers viii
"2o and do likewise" and thus assure 4
general re.sctiou 81 the area, material
d.er.as- of production and "a correspond
ing advance iu sine price. or nt least n
maintenance of the present price; None
whatever. There i- no bond OF union be
tween farmers that IS strong enough 10
hold them together iu the carrying out
at any policy. The days of the alliance
are over. and IL is doubtful 81 even that
powerful agency could make and cement
such "a bond.
bat there are "a Few farmers IN every
county. and iu some counties there are
many. who have already eat down cotton
areas and Will hold fo their purpose
They have been Influenced bv more
substantial reason than the expectation
s.tHou. assurance that there VIII boz
general decrease in area They have
acted without regard 90 what others have
dome. and VIII continue the policy in the
f,s.ure. These are the truly wise and
sensible farmers of the land. They have
ricd the plan and have found out that
Jess cotton and more hog and hominy'
is better than "a big cotton crop, con-
sgmpt.ye corn crib, an empty smoke
house and unpaid debts.
Eu. these sensible farmers have not
u-u~uersd by simply reducing the cotton
area and Increasing the corn area. some
thing more than that is needed Most
farmers produce a- much corn -s hey
ought To- produce. but they don't produce
as mgsh o. th- acre ass they should. Eight
o. ten bushels az corn tp the acre Is rocr
farming. Yet here are hundreds of thou
sands of acres annually iu corn that
produce Jess. Instead IF more corn there
should toe more oats. more peas. more
resviue and grass hay, more beef and
pork and mutton. more milk and but
Ter
The cheapest cotton and the cheapest
curu IS grown ou the best land. What We
want IS q grow cotton. corn. oats. hay.
livestock products. etc. as Jess cost per
pound. per bUShel. per head. To do this
fhv first step is 90 seleC, better lauD
Enan which % produce the field crops.
aud exercise more skill ana Judgment in
.h.- selection uf breeds or animals and ina
feeding ANA handling them. and I'm work
.ue un their products for home consump-
tieu or for sai-.
Vow il g. manifest that very Few farm
ers can dispose az their farms and get
better ones. Such as might succeed In
doing So would b- simply changing plans.
The man thac buys your poor farm and
thus puts b. u Your power to get "a
better one simply takes Your plan. But
every farmer can select the better parts
II the farm Dee already has AMI throw
uut 81 expensive cultivation the outlying.
wornout hiliS.des un.u some future day.
Concentrate. intensity. reduce expenses.
lessen cost 81 production. Diversity Is
NOT exactly the word. and its uOnuSe in
th,- above may he noticed Intensity is "a
i.fter if not bigger word. Diversified
tipn is good within reasonable limits. Dut
as often USED DO sinsichs OF 700 many
irons ina the fire."
Whore a farmer now plants 100 acres
IN cotton. applying ten tons OF fertilizer.
and gets forty bales Of cotton, let him
plant City acres and apply eight tons Of
fertilizer and set thirty or forty bales
What does lac save; The labor. mule
power wear and tear, etc. before re-
quired FOR tnc fifty acres. Where a farm
er planted seventy-iive acres in corn and
gathered 40 bushels. let him plant fifty
acres and get the same amount. I'm adj
dit.On. let him plant fifty of the seventy
five acres cut off from the cotton and
corn area in oats ana fertilize well. He
may get go bushels the first time. but
will do better the next time when he
plants oats on the fifty acres that made
him 40 bushels OF corn. And so on, not
forgetting 20 follow his oats (and wheat.
tool. with cowpeas TO be made into hay.
~ course there are several other crops
that should be planted i'm a gradually
iusensifyius way. but space forbids fur
Their elaborat.on of details. BY such "A
system modified according TO particular
circumstances and condition, an indus
trious wideawake farmer will soon have
plenty To eat and plenty TO sell and will
be all right even if cotton brings but .
cents r. J. REDDING.