The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1913-10-11
INVESTIGATION ON
SOUTHERN FARMS
Some Reasons for Getting Away
From One Crop Idea.
VITAL PROBLEM FOR FARMER
Must Insueurate a Safe and Sane sys-
tenn of Farming to Enrich, Instead
Of Wearing Out Our Lands
Cotton E1hausts Humus.
GBy c.. Il. ALFORDO

There are two problems before us
for solution. However, the most real
and vital problem before US just at
this time is TO get our farmers 10 prac-
tice a safe and sane system or farm
ing; one that will include crops to en-
rich instead OF wear out our lands;
one that will include plenty of good
live stock 10 consume the surplus prod
ucts and the leguminOus crops that
must be grown TO enrich the land and
to make manure 10 still further enrlch
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
price the people in our towns and cit
les can afford to pay.
The too exclusive culture OF cotton
has exhausted the humuS, the ire
giving principle in our 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 the cotton
| belt have been ruined. The too eXclu
/ siye culture of cotton makes ii neces
sary to send the money obtained fol
cotton north to pay for corn, oats
pork products. mules, horses and othei
farm products. The too exclusive cul
/ ture OF cotton has caused oyerproduc
ton. thereby forced the price far below
an equitable one, so that there ha!
been but little more than bare Nv
ing for cotton farmers. The too eS
elusive culture OF cotton establlshe'
the credit system. AS long as on
farmers raise their supplies at nom
there is no necessity for the credi
system. The too exclusive culture Q
cotton compels US to buy on credi
and dump all of our cotton on the ma
ket in the fall in order to satisfy on
creditors and thereby force the pric
down
II these statements be true, Wh
have the farmers in the cotton De
not practiced Investigation more gel
orally long ago? Many say that tn
farmers have been compelled to plaI
cotton to get credit, and at the 10
prices OF cotton, which so long pr
vailed were unable TO get out or del
and 90 forward unhampered on a
indepepdent basis. This is no doul
true of many thousands OF farmers.
There are. of course. numerous re
sons for the too exclusive culture
COTTON. but the argument used by mo
cotton farmers is that cotton Is u
most profitable crop TO grow and IN
the larger the area in cotton the larg
the profits. These cotton farmers l
ually show by figures that an acre
land that will grow 40 bushels of CO
will grow one bale Of cotton and tn
, the cotton will sell for more mon
, than the corn.
, Now. come, let US reason togetn
for a few moments. The success
any system OF farming cannot
> mdged by the crops or the next cal
ings for one year or for fve yea
Any system OF farming that imp'
!, erishes the land is a miserable fallu
= no matter what the profits may be
one wear or for five years. Our pr'
lens largely depend upon maintain
soil fertility, and for this reason
system of farming that causes a
cline in the fertility OF the soil Is
IL shame and disgrace to our farmers
y Our greatest asset is the fertility
E our soil. Just in proportion in wh
our soils are worn out, In that prop
D. ton is our prosperity diminished.
III living man has ever acquired the
p NJ growing good crops of grain, grs
lg Ga cotton or vegetables on poor la
* Poor soil always means small yiel
Z, small yields always means poor ?
- pie, and poor people always me-
IS. the credit system, very little edu
IL tion uncomfortable homes, poe
VI equipped farms, and, in fact, all
lie retards civilization.
ne In passing. permit me to suge
ie that corn with peas In the corn
iy meas grazed by hogs, and oats Toll
m ed by SOY beans or lespedeza VIII |
the Mace of a large part Of the cot
and that you will make as large
profits from the sale OF these CT
hi as you make from cotton. Lana
rly will make one-half to three-fou'
hale of cotton per acre. on the
he age, one year with another viii n
ter 30 bushels OF oats and 20 busneii
SOW beans. or two tons of lespet
an hay. The oats and soy beans or lie
deza hay will sell for more cash
the cotton. And wherein these G.
ct? and corn and oats used in rota
surpass any one crop system lie
the fact that the fertility Of the