Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1913-10-31
INVESTIGATION ON
SOUTHERN FARMS
sane Reasons for Getting Away
From One Crop Idea.
VITAL PROBLEM FOR FARMER
rsust Inauourate Safe and Sane sys-
Ism Of Farming to Enrich, Instead
Of Wearing Out Our lands-
Cotton Exhausts Humus.
By G. H. ALFoRp.)


There are two problems before rs
for solution. However, the most real
and vital problem before US just at
this time is to get our farmers to prac-
tice a safe and sane system Of farm
ing; one that viii include crops to en-
rich instead of wear out our lands;
one that will include plenty of good
live stock to consume the surplus prod
nets and the leguminous crops that
must be grown to enrich the land and
To make manure to still further enrich
the land--g system Of farming that
viii 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 a
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 our soils; the wash
fng 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-
sive culture of cotton makes 1t neces-
sary to send 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
an equitable one, so that there has
been but little more than a bare hv-
ing for cotton farmers. The too ex-
elusive culture of cotton established
the credit system. AS long as our
farmers raise their supplies at home
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 diversiffcation more gen.
orally long ago? Many say that the
farmers have been compelled to plant
cotton to get credit, and at the low
prices of cotton, which 80 long pre-
vailed, were unable to get out Of debt
and go forward unhampered on an
Independent basis. This IL no doubt
true of many thousands OF farmers.
There are. of course, numerous rea-
sons for the too exclusive culture of
cotton, but the argument used by most
cotton farmers is that cotton IL the
most profitable crop to grow and that
the larger the area in cotton the larger
the profits. These cotton farmers us
ually show by figures that an acre OF
land that will grow 40 bushels of corn
win grow one bale Of cotton and that
the cotton will sell for more money
than the corn.
Now, come, let rs reason together
for few moments. The success OF
any system of farming cannot be
Judged by the crops or the next earn
ings for one year or for i've years
ANY system of farming that impov
erishes the land is a miserable failure
no matter what the profits may be fol
one year or for i've years. Our prob
lens largely depend upon maintaining
soil fertility, and for this reason any
system of farming that causes q de
cline in the fertility Of the soil Is
shame and disgrace to our farmers.
Our greatest asset Is the fertility Of
our soil Just in proportion In which
our soils are worn out, In that proper
ton is our prosperity diminished. Nc
living man has ever acquired the ari
Of growing good crops Of grain, grass
"a. cotton or vegetables on poor land
Poor soil always means small yields
small Yields always means poor PEG
pie, and poor people always means
the credit system, very little educa
ton, uncomfortable homes. poorly
equipped farms, and, In fact, all thai
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
the place of a large part Of the cotton
and that you will make as large ne
profits from the sale of these crops
a. you make from cotton. Land tina
will make one-half to three-fourthi
bale Of cotton per acre, on the aver
age, one year with another, will make
30 bushels of oats and 20 bushels o.
soy beans, or two tons of lespedezi
hay. The oats and soy beans or lespe
deza hay will sell for more cash thar
the cotton. And wherein these crops
and corn and oats used in a rotation
surpass any one crop system, lies II
the fact that the fertility Of the sol