The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-03-18
CROP DIVERSIFICATION
COTTON ACREAGE REDUCTION
 WILL HAVE GOOD EFFECT.
President Harvic Jordan of ProducerS Association, Writes Strong Artt- cle in Which Such Step Is
 Urged.

Atlanta, Ga., March 17.--(Special.)-- It is generally believed that the sign ing of thousands of pledges to reduce cotton acreage this year will result in the diversification of crops, something that has been needed in the South for many years. With cotton acreage re- duced the farmer must utilize his land not planted in cotton. and this land, according to all reports, will be plant ed in other crops. President Harvie Jordan of the Southern Cotton Associa- tfon, has written strong article urg- ing the diversification of crops, and for the farmers to raise their supplies at home.
 MT. Jordan says:
 Diversifcation is the keynote to suc- cessful agriculture. This not only ap- plies to farming in the South. but to all sections of the world where agri- culture is carried on. It is one of the laws of nature, as well as an economic law, that land cannot be maintained to a high state of fertility from any sys- tenn of culture that does not embrace within the methods adopted plan of diversification. This is especially true in the case of our Southern lands, which have been largely depleted of their natural fertility by long course of planting and cultivating a single crop. Cotton has for many years been the dominating crop of the South, be- cause of its money value, and the ease with which it can be sold in every To- cal market throughout the South. At the present time 1t Is particularly important that our people turn their attention to the production of more food supply crops and curtail the extended production of cotton. At the present price of cotton it ceases to be a profitable industry where the growers of the staple have to depend sc largely upon the purchase of sup plies to maintain the operations of the farm. Unless the acreage in cotton is largely curtailed and the production of food supplies is largely increased, the future does not present very bright picture of the cotton growers of the South. Within the next thirty or ninety days. the determination of the Southern farmers to intelligently solve the problem which confronts them at this time will be demonstrated to the world. Whether their action will carry with it tendency toward protection and self preservation in the heavy cur tailment of cotton acreage and an in- creased acreage in food supply crops is a question which the whole world Is now waiting for. From the informa - tion which is daily coming in. shown through the columns of the public press, the action of County and Parish meetings and hundreds of letters from individual farmers, 1t can be safely predicted at the present time that the Southern farmers. for once at least. will demonstrate their ability to put into practical operation what they know to be for their best interest.
 The reduction in the use of coml mercial fertilizers in the old States has already become an accomplished ing, in many instances, to shut down their plants and the demand for guanc at interior points by farmers Is less than has ever been the case since the manufacture of commercial fertilibzers has become one of the leading indus tries of the South.
 Another matter which has already assisted the cotton producing industry of two continents iS the fact that the spot holders of cotton have so faI lived up to the pledges which they made three months ago not to throw their cotton upon a depressed. specula- tive market and sacrifice 1t merely to gratify the wishes of the exporters and speculators. The result of the holding movement since January 26th, up to the present time, has already added $25,000,0OO to the amount of cotton left in the South unsold up to that time The mere fact that the cotton is being held and not thrown upon the market with reckless disregard, has added more than $6 per bale to the prices which were offered only thirty days