The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-03-08
Diverslacation. the True Policy.

TO the AUTHORIZATIONS to the
Civil War, the South was almost
wholly agricultural. Up to 1861, her
people were among the happiest, the
most cultured, and. the most prosper
Gus in the world.
This condition was attributable in q
large measure to the fact that diver
sification and systematic rotation of
crops were practiced on every farm
and plantation.
They used with a liberal hand the
fertilizers at command. When the sup
ply from the stable and lot and cot
ton seed heap was exhausted, they
turned to new ground"
The story of the fertilizer supply
is told to an extent by the following
figures which show the number of
sheep etc, owned in 1850 and in
1908 by the eight strictly cotton
States:
1860: sheep, 3,15S,O88; swine, H.
343,SS5; milch cows, 2,032,637; other
cattle, 5,646,407; horses, mules, etc,
1908: sheep, 2,s14S99; swine. O.
29S.723; mich cows, 2.35S,167; other
cattle, 10,S75,019; horses, mules, ETC.,
3,930,444.
In order to appreciate the lesson
which rests in the figures thus parada-
fully displayed, one must keep in mind
the population of the periods repre-
scented by the years 1850 and 1903.
That array is brimful of interest:
for it measures to a very considerable
extent the South's true prosperity.
Another fact illustrative of the wis
dom of the South's ante-bellum policy
and practice of Investigation and ro-
tation:
In 1850, the eight States referred
to produced $4,000 of bale of cotton
per capita.
In 1902, the same States produced
70-100 of bale of cotton per capita.
In 1860, those States produced 1922
bushels of corn per capita.
In 1903, the same States produced
27.5 bushels of corn per capita
No student, or casual observer even,
can fail to see that we need to re-
turn, 'horse, foot and dragon" to
the policy and practice of the fathers
which gave, year by year, the most
satisfactory results.
The New Orleans conventions sug-
gestion, that the cotton acreage, and
fertilizers under cotton, should be re-
duced not less than % per cent. each,
is being adopted with commenddble
prGmptness. 1t will be followed in
spirit if not absolutely to the letter
1t is perfectly competent to cut the
acreage so per cent. and fertilizers %
per cent, if one should prefer so to
do with view to the important item
of reduction in the cost of produc-
ton.
No one will question the proposition
that reduction of the cost of pro-
duction of the cotton crop, and every
other crop, is of vital Importance.
Take q one-horse farm. Usually %
acres of the 40 acres are given to
cotton, and the average yield is one
bale to three acres.
Call the cotton acreage of a one
horse farm "A acres. In most cases,
1876 pounds of a commercial fertilizer
is applied per acre with the result
above stated. Cut this acreage SO per
cent and fertilizers Is per cent, you
have II acres with an application of
zoo pounds per acre. With good seed,
better cultivation, etc., half bale per
acre will result. This shows bales
from II acres as against 8 bales from
"a acres. Production has been cut
25 per cent and we have a bale and
a half for every three acres against
one bale. On the basis of 10 cents
pound for middling, the II acres re-
turn SIS, as against $50 from "a acres.
If the $4,000 one-horse farmers in
Georgia were to test the intensive sys-
tenn on this beginners scale, so to
speak, they would discover themselves
each in possession of six bales of cot
ton made at less cost and have the
satisfaction of knowing that they had
reduced the Georgia crop of 1905,
10000 bales in the aggregate.
Should the remaining $50, 900 farms
in this State hew to this or similar
line of reduction, we shall have q crop
much less than 100000 bales.
What is true of Georgia is equally
true of the other seven States.
The suggestion as to the 40 acre
farmers is pertinent. 1t outlines
plan which is practicable and looks
to the future. 1t adds ] 3 acres, taken
from the 25 usually planted in cot
ton, to the Is which can be and