St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1909-01-09
FARMING in
THE SOUTH
OTHER MONEY CROPS FOR
SOUTHERN FARMER.
Many Things for Many Markets
Stock Raisins-sugar Cane as q
Money-Maker.

The prevailing belief that cotton
is the only money crop for the south
has almost bankrupted many of our
people. And it's universal growth up
on the same soils year in and year
out has been fearful drain upon
their fertility. No record is given
where an agricultural people have
maintained the productiveness of their
lands, and themselves grown in
wealth, where one-crop system has
been the rule.
Nine out of ten men growing cotton
today will tell you that it is the one
and only money crop. Many are hon.
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 our leading argiculturists
have been advocating diversidcation
of crops for decades, with apparently
the time is rapidly approaching when
this system will be forced upon us
whether we want it or not. Several
| changed conditions are upon US, which
will make this method the only tenable
one for our farmers. One of the
chief factors in bringing about this
change is the unsettled and unreliable
state of our agricultural labor, which
makes it utterly impossible to culti-
yate or gather cotton as formerly.
Another cause for the change is the
sure and rapid impoverishment of our
lands by the constant growth of one
crop on it. This method soon robs our
most fertile soil of all it's human and
vegetable matter, leaving it in condi-
ton to be worked off by the excessive
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 cu1ti-
walton, after we have worn out the
soils we already have in cotton. Our
forefathers followed this method too
long for it ever to be adopted to a
| great 0AIGuL ny OuISSIFSS.
The Boil WeeviI 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 unquestionably
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 will furnish food
for man or beast is money crop,
whether consumed on the farm where
grown, or sold to other parties. For
| if we grow all cotton, and buy all
our foodstuff for man and stock, as a
great number do, it 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
er, who has them to buy, will decide
that they are very much of 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
not need a warehouse to put it 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 for Many Markets.
/ There is a great number of things
| the worlds hungry markets are clam
oring for. which our genial climate
and fertile soils will 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 it. Our OBJ
servation is that very early, and very
choice goods in this line always find
ready market at fair prices. One
thing to be considered with favor in
| this line of farming it that should the