The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1900-04-12
ADVICE TO FARMERS
LETTER OF COMMISSIONER OF
AGRICULTURE ON PRESENT
COTTON CROP.
ACREAGE AND PLANTING
Mode OF Preparing the Sou-Tarmers
Warned TO Pause and Carefully
Consider Their Plans.
ATLANTA, April ., 1909.

ATLANTA, April 3. 1900.
Thu cotton acreage Tor Georgia will
Be vassuatly determined during this
NoOth and the prsssRs price of this
stspae makes the temptation very strong
70 plant zoo much cotton 70 tho neglect
Of Other crop& We warn the farmers
10 pause and consider carefully whether
the paas formed and which they afs
now asoas to execute. provide fully for
ell 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 cultl-
vate and gather and he is bound to
prosper, the degree OF prosperity de-
pending only upon the price of the sta.
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
ers o. the country. OF recent years the
scene has shifted and now the merchant
reAgAs supreme in the towns. while
the farmer boFrows and the land mourns
weighed down with mortgage. The
AL cotton plan" may not be RESPONSE.
BILE for the depressed condition of the
cotton growing states, but much is
chArgeable to shis cause. The trouble
Is not so much that we have 500 much
cotton but too few supplies.
Our farmers got into the habit Of pro-
ducing all cotton to the detriment Of
food crops Immediately after the war
between the states, when there was an
exorbitant demand for the fieecy staple
on account of said war, and conse-
quently prices reached a ''boom" value.
Food crops, such as wheat, corn, oats,
ETC.. were comparatively low. AS soon
as the demand was lessened the prices
began to drop. Il 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
10 consider our condition. and form res
olutions of retrenchment Let US not
lose what we have gained. but let 1900
be a memorable year because of the
great supply of ''hog and hominy."
For the past two years we have made
mach progress along 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. Lat the good
work go on. Cotton mills are springing
up like magic all over Georgia The
lumber and turpsntine industries are.
as well as the iron and gold ore, all do.
ing we'll. There Is and will be a great
demand for grains and grasses, cattle,
hogs. poultry, butter and eggs This
will bring into circulation more money
to buy more cotton goods than for
years, hence we believe that cotton will
be 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. Don't wait until the ground
becomes too dry to produce termination
of the seed. Run 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 small plow Immediately be-
hind the teeth of the harrow so as to
open furrow for the planter, or use
the planter with an opener. The har.
row will not only freshsn the bed. but
remove clods and other obstacles and
kill the terminating grass.
When the cotton is ready to come up
run your harrow over the bed again
and this will aid you in getting a good
stand and besides kill another crop of
grass. We prefer the planter that GOV.
ers the seed with the double foot bull
tongue to the board, used with some of
the cotton planters. We have gener-
ally used. say so to rs pounds of fertl.
lizer in the drill with the seed. This
gives an early start to the plant.
o. B. STEVENS,
Commissioner.