The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1906-04-17

The 'Etos," OF it - Mr.. Ifnxic Sees it
Money IL sweet Potatoes. SoE-
gnanl Hay. CONDeas. lstc.

(p. 4. Eoyle. Catawba County. y G.
n Progressive Farmer.)
/ believe the farmers are in earn
IS. Mnen they say they will reduce
ther acreage in cotton to - per cent.
oi the 1904 crop. Occasionally, how
ever. [ meet one who says he thinks
this reduction and prudent marketing
are the only means Nc can use to put
and keep cotton culture on II paying
basis, but he says it is Impossible
Tor h-m 10 make that reduction. Let
me say to that friend, and To all that
think as he does, it is only ain imagi-
nary impoSsibility. We fully appre-
clate the argument that yea have 4
good force Of hands Of your own fe>fn
I!% and mast teach them to work; and,
that much Of your land is not wen
adapted to corn. suppose that IS true:
does that condition force YOU 10 plant
cotton on all your land not good for
corn, simply 10 keep your hands al
work? Ii You think it does, before
You 60 plant, please stop and
consider the possibility and adaptable
ity of your fields, and the home and
distant demand for SO many things
you see growing in your nei9hbor's
ton.
Take sweet potatoes for an example.
and While the labor expended on their
culture and care is much less. the
profits are greater per acre than that
cf cotton. But you say. ii we all
cultivate sweets for market the supply
viii exceed the demand and we cannot
sell them. There is truth in this too
but the hog, the COW, the horse and
every other animal can help You
save your potatoes. and there VIII al
ways be q good demand for good D1i-
con, good beef and good horses. Any
land that will grow cotton will grow
4 To-.
uVation. Put part Of your land adapt
ed to cotton iii sweet potatoes. Then
you have not forgotten that field Of
your neighbOr's that produced four OF
five bushels Of good sorghum hay per
acre worth more than the cotton grown
on twice the area Of land and ii grew
with one-fourth the labor required to
produce cotton Then. again consider
It's kindred valuable crop milo
maiIZ kaflig corn and the millets al of
= hich are relished by all farm animals,
stand drought Well, and produce
abundantiy.- Your argument overpro-
duction will not hold good here
Put part Of your cotton land in sor-
ghum lzatiir corn, millet etc. No fall
passes that does not present to your
View fields Of coMpeas that almost
make your mouth water" and iaNa-
riably make YOU say: I'm going TO
SOW COW peas next year" You ar
y
the year opens and YOU remember
that cotton is money" you do not
treat yocr own judgment honestly. and
you think YOU must put tile Whole
plantation in cotton. While We ali
recognize cotton as a money crop. aud
q valuable money crop. we must hot
forget that it takes more money TO
make it than any staple crop.
Don't forget melons and coWpeas. i
Put part Of that cotton land in COW
peas.
Now. if the IS per cent. cotton. the
sweet potato field. the sorghum field
and the coWpea fields VIII not keeD
your force Of hands at work. Civ
each of them q good-sized patch for
''goobers." chufas or some other use
ful vegetable YOU and they may
choose. and teach them to work them
and if YOU still have some cotton
land left. and some children not fully /
let the land grow Up in
weeds and briars and rest, as our I
forefathers taught US. and send the ).
children to school They need th&t /,
encourag cement: they deserve i. ani /
you owe it TO them. and if they fait /
to get it they Will he less adapted for /
future citizenship than your cotton +
land is for corn. No, my friends. ! !,
do not think it impossible to reduce !
the acreage. do Eou2 Where there /.
is Will there can be z way II We .
do reduce acreage, and market SEN /
sibly. the farmers Will win, and ile ,
spec ulator lose; but II He DO Mt, We
give our Ia abor to the speculator VINO
has grown rich on the supposed inp9.- .
and misguided toll Of tn
farmer.