The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-05
COTTON cRoP EoR 1eo6.

l NO doubt the high price farmers are now receiving for cotton will lead to the plant l ing of greatly increased acreage in the coming year. In travelling through the two territories and Texas, we find that l farmers in these sections are preparing l for a large acreage of cotton. In fact, 1 there is but little else but cotton talked ] of. Farmers, generally. overlook the question-and it is question-as to how 1 long we can keep the price of cotton up l to 10 cents, or even more. The law ot supply and demand VIII always have its l influence and when we produce more of l any product than the markets of the world want, such a product is produced at a loss and some one has to suffer the consequences, or sustain heavy losses. l Now our farmers should not become de- l luded with the idea that any association ;, of cotton will be able to keep the price | LID when there is an over production. Or ganization will do much in this line, but when the world has enough of a thing | or when there is more than is needed, | the price is sure to go down and cotton | is no exception to the rule. So in view of the fact that drop may occur it seems that 1t would be wise on the part l or our farmers lO bD ulNlu6 lttlI CIOps l that a drop in cotton would not ruin them l financially Should every farmer grow enough to support himself and a few oth- I CT acres of some other crops for market. | this would enable him to hold his cotton, 1 and in this way a large amount of large crop could be kept off the market. By 1 this system of diversifcation. the price O fcotton may be maintained There l would be no disadvantage. either. form a financial standpoint, for there are many crops that can be successfully grown, any of which will give the farmer greater returns, where properly managed, than ] cotton, even at 10 cents per pound. Sheep, hogs and milk COWS all pay we'll and
 more clear money can be made from
 either of these than can be had from a
 cotton crop.
 Money in Cows.
 l While writing this I am in little town in Collin county, Texas, said to be the richest county in the state Here the
 farmer has nothing to sell but cotton. They are buying their corn and hay this early in the season. There is creamery at Forth Worth that will buy every gal l lon of milk that can be produced. The Methodist minister of this town has just
 stated that one COW gave him and his
 family of six all the milk and butter they could use and he sold from this one COW last year $75 worth of butter.
 ] good dairy COW will beat any 15-cent i cotton and. besides this, she is not rob bing but she is keeping up the fertility Aof the soil The farmer has, too, ready market for all these dairy products. { Two brothers who are engaged in the dairy business stated that their one hun dred milk cows netted them S92 per COW i in one year. Such results as this are not uncommon, but what any intelligent farmer can do who will go at this mat ter in the right way. Only the other day young man told me that he had 1 sold $40 worth of sausage and lard from one hog. Good hogs will help much to keep up the price of cotton. Another man said that he was handling sheep and that he owned one eve that gave lamb I last January which he sold for 70. He 1 cut twelve pounds of wool from thls eve which brought him A cents per pound In August the eve gave two 1 lambs that he had been offered $o TOT ana refused Here was $13.SS from one eve i in one year and the eve still left on the farm to continue fertilizing the land and give profits Our sheep men are all in good circumstances and have money. We l need wool as well as cotton and now l since the drouth destroyed the sheep h. | dustr~y in Australia there is more clear i money to be made in growing wool than l in growing cotton. We need both ana must grow both, but 1t is wise to grow more wool than we are doing and not too much cotton.
 Why Stick to Cotton7
 i I cannot understand why our farmers will stick to cotton and neglect so many other crops and stock raising that will nay them more for their labor. Besides, 1 they can grow these crops and grasses without wearing out their lands. We are bringing in and developing a vast amount of new country in Oklahoma, Indian Ter ritory and Texas and on these new farms cotton can be grown very cheaply The farmers of the older states, especially where the lands are hilly and rolling, can never compete in cotton With the 1 farmers of these new lands
 In view of this fact, it seems that 1t
 would be wise on the part of our farmers ! in the hilly country of Alabama and oth- l CT of our older states, to drop cotton en- tirely and turn their attention to grass, grain, stock, fruits and vegetables. Let 1 the farmers on the rich river iands qua
 the new lands mentioned above, grow
 our cotton These sections can grow all 1 the cotton we need or all that the nlarhel l will take at 10 cents.
 There is great activity among the farm | ers of the territories and Texas in pre- pairing for a great crop in cotton. The | indications are, that if the coming sea- l son is favorable for the cotton crop an unusually large crop will be produced and we may expect much lower prices next l fall. So 1t would be well to save some thing to sell next fall besides cotton. We need to produce more corn, wheat, hogs, sheep dairy produces, poultry and fruits and vegetables Just think of the demand we have for all of these things, and they all have ready cash value at paying prices.
 Apple Growing.
 1 In this connection, to show something of the demand for some of the things mentioned above, I desire to call the at tention of our readers to a letter written , to the Nashville American a few days ago. This letter is so timely and so ful- | ly sets forth the true conditions that
 we give 1t here in full:
 'To the Editor.
 T notice in Wednesdays American that some one asserts that a free eating of apples is a sure cure for drunkenness. There is an old saying, which has more of truth in it, that barrel of apples in ] the cellar keeps the doctor out of the i house.
 But what's the use of prescriptions if the medicines are not to be had? Where are we to get the apples? Are you, MT. Editor, out of the munihcient salries you newspaper men are known to receive, able to keep your barrel in the cellar? Have you priced apples in the market house this season? What kind of hole did you find the price asked for few