The progressive farmer and southern farm gazette. (Starkville, Miss.) 1910-1920, 1910-01-08
The South Can Compete With the
World Growing Corn.

been "dvershcation."
Internationally. It is advantageous to specialize
The man who makes shoes only will learn to
make better shoes than he would II he made
shoes. harness plows, wagons and all the other
things needed and used by man.
1t seems that this may be accepted fact.
and II It be- then there is a limit to which the
farmer will find IT advantageous to diversity. We
are not one OF those who believe that the farmer
to be successful must necessarily return to prim-
tive conditions and produce everything he uses
on the farm.
II with a given amount of money or effort we
can make an amount OF cotton which. when sold.
will buy more corn than we can make with the
given amount OF labor and money used In the
production OF the cotton then does IL pay TO raise
corn? II this were all there Is in tho question OF
divershcation and crop rotation. common sense
would plainly dictate that under such condition
1T will not pay to grow corn.
But while man may make cotton 10 buy corn
prohtably year. he cannot do Il for term
of years for the simple reason that tho growing
OF one crop tho land is not conducive to large
yields, Again when the crop of corn Ia given the
same attention in respect TO its requirements az
the Southern farmer cotton
To make the best yields OF cotton may reouire
as good land to make the best yields OF corn
but crop OF cotton that Will pay expenses aud
little more. may be made land and with man
agement which will no, produce paying crop o,
corn. To grow corn probably better land and
more intelligent management are required than
are necessary to grow cotton that will pay a small
profit over cost of production
Because OF these facts. and the further fact that
most Southern lands are too poor TO produce corn
probably. some Southern planters and mos; Of our
friends to tho North. erroneously conclude that
the South is not adapted TO the growing of corn
The only reasons the South is not adapted In N,
growing OF corn-and Just ms well adapted To thia
crop as the so-cacd corn States Of lllinoia Iowa
Missouri. etc.-are that We have no, given enough
attention to building up and maintaining ~. ,.r
tility OF our lands and that we do M, n,,,v ~,
same agricultural knowledge to it's production.
That there is nothing in our climate and nothing
IN our soil except lack OF fortni,y-which may be
'a"'s eupphed-to Justify the statement that this
section OF the country is not we'll adapted 10 the
growing OF corn. is unmlstakably shown by the
SieiaS OF corn made on individual acres all over
the south. and frequently by school boys When
Sehooi boys In North Carolina. Alabama. Missls-
eppi, and Louisiana make i25 TO $50 buahels OF
corn to the acre. and make Il at n cost of from
10 TO 2b cents n buahel, and when men make
go Z-5 bushels on acre as Mr. Bntts OF
North Carolina. did this year or 254 bushels ON
An acre as did Mr.. Drake. OF South Carolina. some
years ago. II IL absurd to state that this country
Is not as well adapted TO the growing OF corn as
any o'her section When improve our Iands
az we may easily do. and give that intelligent At
'oH'oh 10 ltB production which cor, 1a,n..,-