The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-08-25

to the grower and improvement of the
land. This tendency to abandon ara
BILE for grass land is one that is going
to be intensified by existing economic
causes. Arabic cultivation especially
in cotton and tobacco crops, demands
an abundance of cheap and readily
available labor. Whilst trade was
languishing, and the South had not
entered the field of commercial activ-
ity, this labor was here abundant and
ready at all times to be commanded
at low wages. Now conditions have
changed and the cry is that labor is
scarce, unreliable and dear. This is
affecting farmers seriously, and is go
ing to bring about a change in the
system of farming. Arabic land is go
ing to be put down to grass and more
live stock be kept. This is a change
greatly to be desired in the interest
of farmers themselves and also of our
lands. No grass country is ever long
poor one The richest agricultural
sections in this country and the Old
World are those in which grass lands
are the most extensive and there the
greatest degree of home comfort is TO
be found. large farmer said to us
a few days ago, Il am bound to make
change in my system of farming 1
will reduce the area of my arabic
lands, farm them more intensively.
and thus get a greater yield per acre,
and put down into permanent grass
grass a large part of my farm and
keep much larger head of live stock.
There Is money in stock when rightly
bred and fed. and but little profit in
the production of arabic crops with the
present high rate of wages for labor
He was right, and 1t is gonig to be
profitable for all Southern farmers to
follow his example. Compare for a
moment the return made from a crop
OF corn, or a crop of wheat per acre
with that made from crop of hay.
The average annual yield of corn in
Virginia for the last five years has
been nineteen and one-half bushels to
the acre. The average annual value
or that yield for the five years has
been SS.49 per acre. In North Carolina
the average annual yield for five years
has been twelve and three-fourths
bushels per acre. The average annual
value of that yield for the five years
has been 1851. In South Carolina ;he
average annual yield for five years has
been eight bushels per acre. The an
nual average value of that yield for
the five years has been $476. The av-
erage annual yield of wheat in Vir-
ginia for the last five years has been
eleven bushels to the acre. The aver
age annual value of that yield for the
five years has been $3.50 In North
al SiAiii tllC average annual Yield or
wheat for five years has been eight
bushels per acre. The average annual
value of that yield has been 1904 In
South Carolina the average annual
yield has been eight bushels per acre.
The average annual value of that Weld
has been 1887. TIL eaverage annual
yield of hay per acre in Virginia for
five years has been LA tons, of the
value Of $12 per year. In North Caro-
lima the annual average yield of hay
per acre has been 1.42 tons. of the
annual average value of $145O In
South Carolina the annual average
yield of hay per acre has been 100
tons, of the annual average value of
Sl4- When account is taken of the
labor cost of making these respective
crops, it will at once be seen how
much more profitable 1t has been TO
the producers in those states to make
nay rather than corn or wheat But
TINS by no means exhausts all that is to
be said in favor of grass and hay as
against these arabic crops. When the
corn and wheat have been harvested.
there is left piece of bare and i'm
poVerished land, which must be again
worked at much cost for labor and be
again enriched before ii will produce
another crop. When the hay has been
harvested. there is left pasture field
covered with a sod which will feed
stock the rest of the year and which
will conserve the fertility of the land
and make other crops in other years
without more than a very slight out
lay of cost for labor. Grass and live
stock is surely to be the sheet anchor
of the Southern farmer