The Tupelo journal., 1911-06-16

door of prosperity, but poor land, poor
People" None of us realize the depth
and breadth OF the hiatus between
good and poor land. None of us have.
told the half of the advantages of a
rich soil.
| have seen an ordinary farmer go
to his crib and get seed corn land you
all know that this is not the best
PLAN, and plant in good land, and.
with such tillage as an ordinary farm
er gives, makes 80 bushels of corn TO
the acre. What would it mean to
the south if all the land planted in
corn made 80 bushels of corr to the
acre? have seen land good enough
to make two tons of oats to the acre
enough grain to feed a horse or a mule
one year. I have seen land good
enough to make a bale of cotton to the
acre without any blowing and with
very little hoeing. / am not advocat-
ing Indifferent tillage or the careless
selection OF seeds. but l am simply
showing the dominating influence Of
good land in the production OF crops.
When soils become less productive
each year, who, think you, a give an
adequate idea OF the waste.
Why should any man cultivate poor
land? have never known any man
that preferred to cultivate poor land
1t IL not ~pecessary that he do DO. for
the conditions are well known where
by you may cultivate land for an In
definite period, removing good crops
each year, and yet have the land bet
ter at the end than 1t val In the be-
ginning.
Moreover, q man who does not know
how to make his cultivated land bet
ter each year can be taught to do 1t.
1t all depends On the farmers point OF
view.
When farming began in the south, !
have been told that the point Of view
was to clear a farm, wear 1t out, move
west and clear another farm, wear 1t
out. and SO on as long as there was
to the west. While he can no
longer &c west, he stifl hugs the idea
that the land must wear out. Some
how he must be persuaded to change
his point of view. We have lands in
this state that have been planted con
t%inuously in cotton for rs years, and
farmers who will do such a thing do
not know the functions of cow peas
and clovers.
If by drainage you will remove the
water that would otherwise stand on
or near the surface Of the cultivated
lands In this state. it would double the
CROP each year. Does the farmer who
fails to do this appreciate the harm
full results?
The farmer knows a good deal about
stable manure, but southern farmers
have no adequate appreciation Of the
value Of humus In the soil. Instead
OF thinking about 1t every day, M he
would, he may live a lifetime without
ever having given 1t a thought. When
he never once thinks Of humus, why
should we expect him to maintain q
proper supply in the soil? II he would
keep his land productive, the southern
farmer must give O attention to hui
mus thar his northern brother.
Only the surface soil Is Immediately
productive. The sabsoil will grow
crops. You may do anything you
pleaseryou may use manure from eat
tie feed on cotton-seed products, you
may plant COW peas and clover, you
may conture with all the forces OF ma
ture, but If the surface washes you
will have uDproductive land. The loss
of soil fertility by erosion in the south
has been appalling. The sad results
OF all this waste are often pathetic
In the extreme.
Farmers think that In order to have
good soil nature rnust make It for
them. when, as . matter Of fact. farm