Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1912-02-12
some GOOD 40
VICE TO FARMERS

ID. c., to Mr.. A. w. Buchanan, farm
demonstration for Brazos County. If
the farmers OF the South would heed
the advice given in this letter and
adopt the plans suggested, it would
not be ten years before the farmers
would be the money lenders instead
of the money borrowers of this coun-
try And why they will not do it is
mystery to us, as there is not an I'M
reasonable or difficult thing for any
farmer to do in all the suggestions of
this letter:
Washington, d. c., Jan 26, 1912.
Ito All Agents:
There have been great fluctuations
in total cotton production and in price
from year to year during the history
of that crop in this country. There is
a great clamor through the South for
reduction Of cotton acreage. During
the winter and spring of year ago
we warned the farmers of the South
against increasing the cotton acreage
and constantly were bringing to their
attention the fact that smaller acre
age, better tended, and the production
of home supplies would lead to surer
cash return than increase in acreage
of cotton without the assistance OF
other crops. Ever since 1905 the rec
ord of this office shows constant adj
vocating of reduced cotton acreage
and the use of diversified farming as
means of establishing profitable and
stable production of cotton in the
South. In a circular issued two years
ago this spring, Dr. Knapp said: "The
exclusive production of cotton has not
been favorable to the prosperity OF
the South" In an article in the year
book of 1908 on page 312, he points
out, 1.-The economic error of the South
has been the production of one crop"
In speech delivered in Macon, Ca,
September 16, 1910, he said: 1--WE have
been raising cotton and selling it and
buying everything else. That practice
never made people rich. If we pro-
duce everything that we consume, our
own butter, cheese, poultry, as well as
horses, and let our cotton be cash
crop we will own the factories, we
will own the banks, we will be a fac
tor in the business of this country and
in the control of the world"
That is the doctrine which this Of
fee has been advocating all the time.
Every farmer ought to plant portion
of his farm in cotton, but he ought to
leave plenty of his farm for the pro-
duction of corn and for the growing
of legumes, for soil improvement, and
for pasturage for hogs, cattle and his
horses and mules. On such basis,
the acreage heretofore devoted to cot
ton has been too large. The salvatioH
of the Southern cotton farmer, in our
Judgment, is not to be found in
|
schemes to reduce acreage but in
bringing him to see that reduction in
cotton acreage and diversified farming
on a cash basis means the accomplish
ment of the very object which he
seeks. If the cotton farmer of the
South would get out of debt so that
he would be able to finance his owr
operations, would grow his own gar
den. his own corn, his own forage and
his own meat, and would insist upon
every tenant doing the same, he would
soon find himself in a position where
ne would not be compelled to sell his
cotton in the fall of the year, where
he would have a good living whether
he lost his cotton or not, and would
have his cotton FOR a great cash crop
which he is not compelled to sell to
buy food and pay living expenses ]
believe in the increased yield Of cct
ton per acre on reduced acreage. 1t
is only by such a system that we will
be able to introduce rotation of crops
AMI maintain the fertility Of the soil
and produce cotton profitably.
Again this year, as last year, we
want it distinctly understood that we
are advocating, as the only safe course
to pursue in raising cotton, the raising
of cotton on less acres and having
relatively larger proportion of the
/ farm cor the production of corn, le-
gumes, f3rage, gardens, and reason.
able livestock industry | do not I'M
agine that you will have much trouble
this year in getting the farmer to fol-
low our advice. Last year we found
considerable difficulty owing to the
fact that the farmer was tempted by
the high price OF cotton. Try to get
your demonstrators to see that the
only safe course to pursue is to have
plan for the future that they can
pin their faith to and the only safe
plan means Investigation, the produc.
ton of home supplies, the rotation OF
crops. the building I'D of soil fertility.