The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-01-19
SPECIALISTS ON
VIRGINIA EARNS
Much-Talked-Of Money Crops,
and How Best to
Make Them
SOME CASES THAT iLLUSTRAT
The Speciality May Be Horses,
or 1t May Be
Red Apples.

The expression money crop fused
in the sense OF farm talk really refers
TO one particular crop from which any
particular son OF the soil obtains the
cash so necessary to carry on his
business. 1t Is generally from the pro-
ceeds of one or two crops at best that
this very necessary cash is attained
II NAV be any one OF the staple grain
crops such as wheat, corn. oats or
barley It may be hay, cotton, tobacco,
fruits or vegetables, at any rate the
farmer who really handles any money
TO speak Of Is generally the man who
has been fortunate enough TO spe-
cialize" on some one agricultural pro
duct. peculiarly adaptable TO the sou l.
climatic and market conditions OF has
section, and after studying out these
conditions he has gone ahead and taken
advantage of them.
Diversified Farming.
There is much talk these days about
diversified farming. This subject alone
could easily take up more space than
could possibly be allowed In SO short an
article.
1t can be truthfully said. however,
that many practical people believe that
a diversity OF crops is the true solution
to success in farming.
No doubt there is much truth In TINS
idea. but the fact yet remains that. the
man who finds out what particular
feature paws best. and who afterwards
pushes this feature. Is the man you
hear most about. and who IN the end
handles the most cash
There are so many traditions extant
concerning the beauties and attractions
of life on the farm that one feels charry
IN writing anything that would De car
cuIated to dispel the charm OF d HE
far from the madding crowd. how
ever. the farmer and his family must
have money. and in order to obtain
this he must. along with his diver
sified system raise some one or TWO
crops that will bring IN money.
Cases in Point.
Not d greet while ago the writer
had occasion to visit a farmer in that
favored section of the State known as
the Valley-that beautiful and fertile
country lying between the Allegnanles
and the Blue Ridge.
This farmer made speciality OF
breeding and selling heavy draft horses
and he had succeeded The Percheron
had been selected by him as the breed
most likely 70 fill the demand for the
trade he ultimately expected to secure,
He was not disappointed. When the
writer visited this now weH-kho"h
breeding farm he found that horses
were the money crop
to bring adequate returns in cash,
commensurate with the items of ex-
pense incident to breeding and raising.
This farmer also raised cattle ana
hogs. grew regular field crops, and
might have been termed general
farmer. but nevertheless Percheron
horses meant more TO him than any
thing.
Many years experience had shown
lore nod
and we'll handled paid better than
too many irons an the IRE
Another case and one more to the
point On this same trip to the
Valley" the writer visited an acqualnt-
ance. farmer who some years ago
bought a fine plantation and com
rnenced to set out apple trees He
studied the features of commercial
orcharding thoroughly. from the seiec-
ton of the location of an orchard. all
along the road TO success in this branch
of farm work, until the fruit was sold at
he highest market price obtainable
for the output of his now famous
orchard.
Some small fruit is raised on this
farm. other STUFF, too, but in the main
the apple orchard of nearly an hundred
acres of trees of different ages, is the
chief care of this most emInentiy sue
cessful grower and shipper
We have successful farmers all over
our state who have specialized IN one
or more features of farm products and
pushed TO their best ability those
special features.
Too great diversity of crops some
times confuses one. certainly II they
are raised with the idea of turning
them into money II takes a man of
unusual ability. and n might be said
of unlimited means. to be able TO expert
naent equally and successfully with
all the field garden, and orchard crops,
let alone live stock. This man is con
fronted with d proposition that VIII
keep him busy and at the best ne IL
liable to lose out How much more 50
viii the ordinary farmer who tries to
follow a plan only feasible with a
government experiment station or
with a very wealthy individual
One Crop idea a Failure
II cannot be denied that the one-crop
idea Is a mistake. For instance II Is a
prettv well established fact when the
farmers IN the cotton-growing states
spend ali their time for a season on a
cotton crop and then have TO buy, not
only bacon for family use. but western
corn and hay for the teams that Work
m the cotton fields
II does not pay the tobacco grower
to sacrihce his years labor all for the
sake Of raising patch OF field OF the
weed thereby neglectIng his grain ana
forage crops. both OF which are aoso-
lutely necessary sdJuncts TO successful
farming
The other view Of the situs ton sug