Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-09-17

so quickly from the Atlantic TO the
Pacific.
The Harvesting of nature TO the serv-
ice OF man has now become a reality.
For instance, on many of the so-called
bonanza farms of the west, IT is now
not uncommon for a fifty-horsepower
traction engine TO pull sixteen ten-inch
plows. four six-foot harrows. and a
drill for planting the seed all at the
same time. This machine does the work
Of many horses and men more effec-
lively than could be accomplished in
any other manner. This intensive ex-
tensive method Of cultivation is now
duplicated in a thousand different ways
and with practically every crop pro-
duced in the United States Of any COM
mercial Importance. 1t would have
been manifestly impossible for the
farmers Of the south to produce the
remarkable cotton crop of 1911 save
through the use Of modern farm imple-
ments The wonderful preparation
which the land received for that crop
was one Of the main factors in maxi
ing a record yield possible 1t may
be said with certainty, for instance,
that more big plows were used than
ever before in the history of the cot
ton belt. These plows enabled the
farmers TO prepare a seed bed capable
of storing and holding the water which
fell as rain. and of providing an ade-
quate range for the development Of the
root system by which the crop is nour-
ished. Financially. 1t may not have
been desirable to produce such an enor-
nous crop, yet it is an evidence Of
what the lands of the cotton belt are
capable Of doing under a modern sys-
TEN Of cultivation, and it emphasizes
the fact that should the day arrive,
and that not distantly, when it is nee
essary to produce thirty-two million
bales OF cotton. the south can readily
respond to the call provided the farm
ers use scientific methods with refer
ence to seed selection, fertilization and
the proper implements needed to put
the land in ideal condition for crop pro-
duction.
1t is naturally to be regretted that the
southern farmer has devoted so much
Of his time and attention to the culti-
walton of a single CROP Business men
everywhere recognize this defect in our
present system of agricultural practice.
Farmers are coming to appreciate it
more clearly than ever. Has not the
time arrived. therefore, when the mer-
chant and the farmer should get together
in some definite cooperative manner
and forever eliminate the one-crop sys-
TEN? There was a day when corn and
hay crops could not be so successfully
cultivated in the south as at the present
time, but this was before the era which
has witnessed the Introduction Of mod
ern agricultural implements onto many
OF our farms. II is we'll known that the
cotton crop was produced for a long
time with the simplest of machinery, but
even this practice could not have been
maintained as the tendency Of yields to
remain stationary or to descend below
the normal even in the face Of apph-
cations of increased amounts of fertil-
izer clearly show. The machinery avail
able on the average cotton farm Of TWEEN
ty-five years ago was not adapted for
use in the production OF the variety of
crops necessary TO enable our farmers
TO carry on a systematic rotation. main
tain an adequate supply Of livestock,
and grow cotton only for a surplus
money crop. The introduction of labor
saving devices. capable Of permitting the
preparation of the land IN an ideal man
ner for a variety of crops will do more
to disestablish King Cotton than any
thing which has taken place in the last
hundred years
: The merchants. therefore. are tremen-
dously interested in any proposition cal
culated to further the introduction and
general use OF modern farm machinery
throughout the south. 1t is their privi-
/ lege to promote the movement now in
progress in a most acceptable manner.
| It is their duty to see at the same time
that only those types of machines the eff
/ hciency of which has been satisfactorily
| demonstrated. find their way to our
/ farms The country is flooded with a LOT
OF cheap and unsatisfactory machines
The idea of many manufacturers seems
to be to construct something which when
painted up has a pleasing appearance
hut which is neither capable Of with
standing the strain TO which it is sub
/ jected in field operations nor OF fulfill
ing the claims made for 1t. The mer-
chants will do themselves a great injury
/ and tend to retard our agricultural
progress If they handle and sell without
discrimination a low-grade class Of i'm
| elements.
The progress which has been made In
the introduction and utilization of imple-
ments in the several states of the south
IS we'll illustrated by what has been &C
complished in Georgia. In 1850 the i'm
PIGMENTS owned on our farms were val
ued at S5ss4.150; in 1890. at S5.764.97s; In
1900. at s9.sO4.O1O. This represented ar
increase of To1 per cent over the pre-
vious decade. In 1910 the value Of i'm,
plements and machinery on Georgis
farms was S20,94S.O56, or an increase ovei
the previous decade of 1877 per cent
A few years ago Georgia stood compare.
lively low in the scale of agriculture
production. Many states were PLACED