The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1904-01-02
COTTON PRODUCTION.
MANUFACTURERS DEcoRo IN
TERRoGATEs PROF. HARDY.
rs THERE DANGER OF A DECRElSE?'
The Alarm Over the Matter Of a De-
cline in the Production Of the
Staple Crop of the South With
out Foundation.

uIOuSu the hluuncSS u ="
c. Hardy, president of the Agrlcrl'
tural and Mechanical College, we are
permitted to publish his letter in re-
ply to the ~interrogatory OF the editor
Of the Manufacturers Record con
corning the cotton production OF the
South, and the a~daptability oil this
section TO a general diyersification OF
crops As Prof. Hardy's letter con.
tains much that should be Of interest
to the readers Of this paper, we give
it below in full;
Agricultural and Mechanical College,
S~tarkville, Miss Dec L., 1903.
Hon. Rict4.d ii. Edmonds, baltimore,
Nd:
Dear Sir-Ln reply ~toSyours Of recent
date, asking for an expression OF my
opinion as to whether the South can
largely increase 1t cotton production,
or whether there is danger of a per
manent/ decrease in cotton production
In the South, due to certain causes.
will say that in my Judgment, the
South has -le capacity to still further
diversity its agriculture and indus
tries, to raise every bushel OF corn
every pound Of meat, and every WORK
animal needed in our section and at
the same time to more than double
it's cotton production. In my opinion,
there Is nothing in the contention
that there has been a deterioration
of the seed by reason Of the best seed
being sold to oil mills. No m be-
lieyes more strongly than | do
in the possibilities of plant breed
ing and in the careful selection OF
the seed. | was reared on a
than rs per cent by the CAREFUL selec'
ton of seed from year to year. | be-
lieye that the cotton production in the
South, under all the conditions that
now exist, could be increased 20 per
cent by a wise and careful selection
of seed for a series Of five years.
Many Of our farmers appreciate the
importance of this class of work, and
more Of them are now selecting their
seed than at any time in the history
of Southern agriculture. This work
is being emphasized more and more
each year by our agricultural colleges,
experiment stations and farmers in
stitutes, and a radical improvement is
taking place, and will De felt immedl'
ately in increased production. Were
the contention true that our @ have.
deteriorated by reason Of selling the
best to the oil mills, this would not be
a permanent danger, as it would re-
Quire only a few years of careful Sc
11atfnn e., hrt,ty tbnnN hapl IN tho for
mer standard.
That there has been a decline in
the fertility of Il soil by reason OF
bad cultivation under the tenantry sys-
TEN, there can be no doubt. This de-
cline is not of recent origin, but has
been going on for years, even just as
rapidly under the slave and one-crop
system of agriculture, as under the
present t~enantry system. | think all
close observers of rural conditions in
the South will agree with me, that this
decline is less rapid at this time than
at any period since the war. In other
words, q better system of agriculture
is now being practiced in this section
than at any time since the war. More
peas, more vetch, more alfalfa, more
m%elilotus, more clovers, more OF every
thing that tends to improve the soil
is now being planted than ever be-
fore. More fertilizers and better fer
t~ilizers are being used each year, and
the indications are that the lowest
point of the decline has been reached,
and that from now IN there will be a
steady improvement. | have great
1NnRInTN N in tho nn11tN OF
the agricultural colleges and
experiment stations to solve every
problem that may arise in the field OF
agriculture, and in the capacity of the
farmers institutes, to carry the solu
ton out to the people and to induce
them to apply the remedy. Whatever
| decline in the fertility of the soil that
may have taken place, and it has been
| great, yet this has been met and more
than compensated for by better meth
DDS in the last few years in prepare
ton and cultivation.
The alarm that the decline in the
fertility Of our soil offers a permanent
menace to cotton production in the
South is useless and without founda-
ton. as may be seen from statistics
given in the Manufacturers Record OF
December 10. These statistics show
that, beginning with the year 1S71.72,
the average yield per acre in the cot
ton belt the following ten years was
1867 pounds of lint cotton; for the
next ten years 1858 pounds per acre;
and that during the next ten years
ending with 1900-1901, the average
was 1892 pounds per acre, an increase
of neArly 90 per cent during the past
ten years. This negatives the conten-
ton that there is danger in a perma-
cent decline in Southern cotton pro-
ductiun.
White it is true that the industrial
DEVELOPMENT of the South has driven
many hands from the country to the
cities end to the railroads and levees,
yet there has been a compensation,
to a certain extent, in the large num-
bers who have come in from the North
and Wet to supply the places thus
made vacant. Five different parties
from Illinois have been in my office
this Week seeking information as to
our lands and conditions, with a view
of casting their lots with us, believ-
ing tndl lHN secllou 10 upoh tho wv
of the greatest prosperity in its his
tory. There Is hardly a county in our
State that is rot feeling the stimulat-
ing influence Of this influx of popula-
ton. These people, almost without
exception, are delighted with the re-
ception given them, and will induce
still others to come. With the coming
in Of such citizens as this section is
now receiving, and with the going out
OF many of our most trifiing negroes,
the productive power of our people
will be greatly increased. One of the
greatest losses the South has is the
low productive capacity of her colored
population. BY improving the intelli-
gence, industry and skill of her farm
laborers, the South can double her