Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1909-01-06
FARMING In
THE SOUTH
OTTER MONEY CROPS FOR
SOUTHERN FARMER.
Many Things for Many Markets
Stock Raislne-sugar Cane as q
Money-Maker.
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The prevailing belief that cottor
ID ths only money crop for the south
z las almost bankrupted many OF ouI
people. And its universal growth up
on the same soils year In and year
out has been fearful drain u3on
their fertility. No record is given
where an agricultural people have
i maintained the productiveness of their
lands, and themselves grown In
3 wealth, where a one-crop system has
been the rule.
Nine ont of ten men growing cotton
today will tell you that it is the one
and only money crop. Many are hon
4 est in this claim, for they know very
little of the possibilities of our soils
In producing other crops, and less
about making, gathering and market
ing any other crop.
Some of orr leading argiculturists
have Teen advocating diversification
of crops for decades, with apparently
q little reward for their teachings. But
1 the time is rapidly approaching when
4 this sva EN- will be forced upon us
s whe her we want it or not. Several
3 changed conditions are uDon us, which
will make this method the only tenable
one or nur farmers. One OF the
chief fac ors in bringing about this
change Is tie unsettled and unreliable
state o. 6 icultural labor, WHICH
makes II utterly impossible to Guilt
sa;e o. q her cotton as formerly.
! Archer c."se- for the change is the
81 I'D y lid mpovelishment Of our
lai ds ly he constant growth OF one
crop on 1t. This method soon robs oui
NEST fertile soil OF all its human and
q vegetable ma e.. leaving II in condi.
y ton TO he wo ID OF by he excessil e
rains We have at certain seasons.
Besides we are nearing the limit In
available cotton lands in this country,
there being comparatively small areas
to be cleared and brought into cult,
walton, after we have worn out the
soils we already have in cotton. Our
forefathers followed this method too
long for it evor to be adopted to a
great extent by ourselves.
The Boil Weevil a Factor.
While all the above are factors to
be reckoned with, the most to be
dreaded, and the one with the most
far-reaching results to our entire
country, is the rapid, unchecked, and
seemingly uncheckable march of the
boil weevil, which Is unquestionab'
destined to cover our entire cotton.
growing states within the next few
years.
To show that other crops can be
grown from which money can be OBJ
tanned, with less labor, less financial
risk, and with far less drain upon
our initial savings bank-the soil-
will be the object of the writer Of
this article.
We will start out with the assump.
ton that any crop that can be sue
cessfully grown. and win furnish food
for man or beast Ii money crop,
whether consumed on the farm where
! grown, or sold to other parties. For
II we grow all cotton, and buy all
our foodstuff for man and stock, as q
great number do, 1t is very evident to
any sensible man that they are all
money crops to some one. and we
think this season, Judging from open,
ing prices for these articles, the farm
~ hyYU xutn
that they are very much Of q money
crop.
So let's start out in 1909 to grow
!. everything we need to feed ourselves
and stock, with some to spare, and all
!, the cotton we possibly can, after do
ing this. My belief is that we will
y not need a warehouse to put 1t in for
fair prices. and that the terrors Of the
boil weevil will be greatly lessened.
We have noted during our thirty
odd years experience that the man
who follows this plan is the one that
feels hard times. money panics, short
crops, etc, with the least degree Of
concern.
Many Things TOR Many Markets.
There is a great number Of things
the worlds hungry markets are clam
oring for. which our genial climate
and fertile soils win produce in abun-
dance. The variety is so great that
none need grow any but those that
best suits his fancy and surrounding
conditions.
Fruit and truck growing may be
the proper thing for some people and
localities, in fact, some sections have
abandoned all other farming. and are
becoming Independent by 1t. Our OBJ
seryation is that very early, and very
choice goods in this line always find
q ready market at fair prices. One
thing to be considered with favor in
this line of farming it that should the
vegetable or fruit fail. from any cause.