Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-06-19
THE WAY TO FIFTEEN CENTS COTTON
'Plain Talk In Plain Language to Plain People"
st. Louis Globe-Democrat.

/
pamphlet by Roland Stone, recently
published by the Union Farming Pub
fishing company of Birmingham, Ala. ::
The area Of cotton land is limited
and climatic conditions have built a
lwall about it, the impossible barrier of
nature on which is large writ, "Thus
'ar and no farther" Cotton growing
has been tried in all known habitable
sections of the world. with the result
that we may safely claim: "The world
must look to the cotton states of Amer
ica for more than half of its supply
for all time" Grass will grow in all
lands under the sun where there Is
SOIL" Wheat, oats and corn will grow
in some parts Of all the cultivatable
sections of the earth. Rice, the food
Of some nations, must have peculiar
climatic conditions and irrigation. Cot
ton can be grown In many places, but
It's natural habitat Is the southland OF
America, where more varieties and a
more profitable crop may be secured
than In any other section Of Christen-
dom. May be, mind you: should be
but is this the case? 1t seems mania
with many planters to put in seed on
every acre of land available, regardless
whether it Is cotton land" or in real
ity better adapted to some other crop
that would pay more profit, requiring
no more expensive treatment or cul-
tivation. This is what one might call
putting the mule behind the plow'
instead of ahead Of it. Mere mulish-
ness or pig g-headed stubbornness will
not raise a good crop Of cotton--a pay
ing crop-on land not naturally adapt
ed for it. And they plant only cotton.
The wheat growers of the great
Northwest became wheat mad" few
years ago, with the result that No. 2
spring wheat sold on the Chicago ex-
change at SO cents per bushel, and did
not average so cents to the farmer on
the crop ($7.50 per acre..
| The corn country" Overplanted one
particular year within my memory, and
sheIled corn sold delivered in feeders
bins at Is cents per bushel. Years be-
fore that in Illinois corn ION the cob
sold at 10 cents per bushel, and was
burned as fuel on the railroad lOcomo-
Itives.
Low-priced wheat and corn put
Kansas ION the hog" as they said at
the time, and that was the salvation Of
Kansas. She took the tip, put the
corn Into the hog" and made him
walk to market with it, saving the
freight. She bought range cattle and
fattened them; she began the raising
of live stock, poultry and swine, and
took up the little things" Of farming,
and in few years the farmers Of the
state emerged from a blanket Of mort
cages, under which they had sweated
themselves, back to sound health.
Nature sent the "Hessian fly"
"black rust" and other wheat pests to
cure the overseeing disease OF the
crazed growers, and they have now
Learned a part Of the lesson unmistak-
ably pointed out. During most OF this
year Of great depression wheat. has
ranged near the dollar mark on the
great exchanges, corn has brought from
60 to IS cents per bushel. (Chicago
Board Of Trade quotations)
If it had not been for the depreda-
tions of the boil weevil in 1867 we
would have seen 6, and cents cot
ton market, beyond a doubt. The "spe-
cialist" in farming everywhere mas
come to grief many, many times,
whether he grew wheat, corn, oats
cotton, or peaches, grapes, apples,
pears, oranges and melons. The "sin-
gle e-cropper" has had lessons without
number, and in any year his success
is an accident for which his shrewd-
ness or foresight was in nowise entitled
to credit
The one class who succeeds-every
Iyear-is the class that practices diver
sification, promotes the cultivation OF
little things" and "side issues" max
ling a living and keeping out Of debt
The principal crop, be it corn, oats
wheat, fruit, vegetables or cotton, be-
ing virtually all profit, Is certain to
return a surplus.
The golden rule Of success has prov
en- to be: "Do not put all your eggs in
one basket"
Profitable Crops.
This is not a dissertation on the
profits Of so-called Fancy Farming
The following crops can be grown by
the southern farmer of average intel
lligence and with a profit: Hay, corn
Ioats, potatoes, (both Irish and sweet
lonions and cabbage-as we'll as cotton
lOf course there are many others.
In every patch of 10, 20, 40 or 81
acres there is a certain amount OF
Hand that will grow three-fourths OF
lbale or more of cotton to the acre
LAND that will not produce three
lfourths of a bale to the acre-profita-
lbly-by judicious seeding, fertilizing
land cultivation-had better be planted
lin something else. What satisfaction
lin spending more in fertilizer, high
Ipriced seed and labor than you can gel
hack? Yet many thousands ol
lplanters do this very thing, year after
year. bringing their average crop down
to one-third and one-half bale to the
lacre. All their profit making cotton Is
lgrown on certain section Of the cot
ton patch" Deduct the cost of seed
ling, fertilizing and cultivating the un-
profitable sections of the land, it would
have been sound business to let tha'
Iacreage lie fallow; sounder still tc
put in grass or forage crops TO teeo
their live stock. | am now speaking
lof land that can not be made to pro-
duce three -fourths of a bale of cotton
to the acre, no matter what means are
employed, and there are thousands OF
acres planted every year Of this class
In any year when the market ranges
under 10 cents, what profit can there
he in anything under three-fourths OF
q bale to the acre? What guarantee
have we that the market price will bf
above 10 cents, especially If we plant
coll out -doorc" In cotton and raise