The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1913-11-05
Some Reasons for Getting Away
From 0ne-Crop Idea.
VITAL PROBLEM FOR FARMER
s~su5t in~aIguHate q SAFE and sans eye
tom Of Farming to Enrich, Instead
Of Wearing Out Our Lande-
Cotton Exhausts Humus.
(By G. ii. ALFORD.)

n vital problem before us just at
this time is to get farmers to prac-
tice q safe n sane system OF farm
ing; n that will include crops to en-
rich instead Of wear out N lands;
one that will include plenty of good
live stock to the surplus prod
ncts and the leguminous crops that
must be grown to enrich the land and
to make n to stin further enrich
the land-a system OF farming that
will grow the necessary corn, oats.
wheat, rice, sugar cane, vegetables,
fruits of all kinds, poultry, hogs, mules,
horses, cattle, sheep and other live
stock for home use and to sell at q
price the people in our towns and cit
les can afford to pay.
The too exclusive culture OF cotton
has exhausted the humus, the life
giving principle in u soils; the wash
Ing of the clean cotton fields has gone
on to such an extent that millions OF
acres Of the best LAND In tho cotton
belt have been ruined. The too exclu-
Bive culture of cotton makes 1t neces-
Bary to sen the money obtained for
cotton north to pay for corn, oats,
pork products, mules, horses and other
farm products. The too exclusive cul-
ture OF cotton has caused overproduc-
ton, thereby forced the price far below
a equitable one, SO that there has
been but little more than a bare liv-
Ing for cotton farmers. The too ex-
elusive culture Of cotton established
the credit system. AS long as our
forp,aro raion thoir o,,nplioo of honna
there Is no necessity for the credit
system. The too exclusive culture Of
cotton compels us to buy on credit
and dump all Of our cotton on the mar
ket In the fall in order to satisfy our
creditors and thereby force the price
down.
II these statements be true, why
have the farmers in the cotton belt
not practiced Investigation more gen.
orally long ago? Many say that the
farmers have heen compelled to plant
cotton to get credit, and at the low
prices OF cotton, which so long pre-
vailed, were unable to get out Of debt
n go forward unhampered on an
Independent basis. This is no doubt
true Of many thousands OF farmers.
There are, Of course, numerous rea-
some for the too exclusive culture OF
cotton, but the argument used by most
cotton farmers is that cotton Is the
most profitable crop to grow and that
the larger the area in cotton the larger
he profits. These cotton farmers u.s.
ually show by figures that an acre OF
land that will grow 40 bushels of corn
will grow one bale of cotton and that
the cotton will sell for more money
than the corn.
Now, come, let us reason together
for a few moments. The success of
any system Of farming cannot be
judged by the crops or the next earn
ings for one yea or for five years.
Any system OF farming that impov-
erishes the land Is a miserable failure,
no matter what the profits may be for
one year or for five years. Our prob
lens largely depend upon maintaining
o fertility, and for this reason any
system Of farming that causes a de-
chine In the fertility OF the soil Is a
shame and disgrace to u farmers.
Dur greatest asset Is the fertility Of
our soil. Just in proportion in which
our soils are worn out, in that proper
tion Is our prosperity diminished. No
living man has ever acquired the art
of rowing good crops of grain, grass
lScotton or vegetables on poor land.
tiT soil always NEAR small yields;
pal yields always mean poor peo-
To and poor people always means
"a credit system, very little educa-
.flnn lnnnrn fort hIn hNnnng nnNrly
equipped farms, and, in fact, all that
retards civilization.
In passing, permit me to suggest
that corn with peas in the corn and
peas grazed by hogs, and oats follow
ed by soy beans or lespedeza will take
h place OF a large part Of the cotton,
and tina. you will make as large net
profits from the sale OF these crops
as you make from cotton. Land that
will make one-half to three-fourths
hale OF cotton per acre, on the aver.
age. one year with another, will make
80 bushels OF oats and 20 bushels OF
SOY beans, or two tons of ~lespedeza
hay. The oats and soy beans or lespe.
;deza hay will sell for more cash than
the cotton. And wherein these crops
and corn and oats used in a rotation
surpass any one crop system, lies in
the fact that the fertility Of the soil
lis increased while with the too ex.
elusive culture Of cotton the fertility
rapidly decreases.
The most destructive and energetic
} insect that the world has ave. known
is gradually covering the cotton belt.
There is n hope and only n hope
for the farmers. and hat is the diver.