Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1913-08-27
THE FARMER is GROWING WISE

only another way of saying that tn
farmers of Georgia are getting wis
They are preparing themselves for tn
battle with the boil weevil and for tn
changed agricultural conditions tina
are so surely being ushered il
throughout Georgia and the entire Cot
ton Belt. That the farmers of Sumter
county have been among the first K
experience this reawakening agricul-
turally is a matter of special pride
and congratulation. OF the tendenc,
in this direction throughout the sta.e
the Savannah News says:
Indications have been unusually
numerous this year that South Georgia
farmers are slowly, perhaps, but
nevertheless surely turning away from
the old plan of putting their faith in
one product. They are learning how
unwise it is to put all their eggs in
one basket. The farmers who sticks TO
one crop year after year knows thai
he will have off years when he will be
lucky if he breaks even and when he is
more than likely to come to the end of
the season with less money than when
it began. And the farmer who specu-
lates on next seasons weather condi,
tons and plunges on one crop, who
takes a gamblers chance that he Will
select the crop that will bring tae
biggest returns is equally unwise.
The farmer who is most likely ID
finish the season with new balance
on the credit side of his ledger is he
who neither sticks to one crop eX-
clusively through a number of years
nor stakes all on his ability to pick
the crop that is likely to be the most
profitable But the farmer who is
wisest is he who does not give an
his time and labor to a single crop in
any year. Farming may besa gamble
as it has been described, but it will GO
much more nearly sure thing" #
the farmer increases his chances OF
hitting it right" by increasing the
number of kinds of things he plants.
If he has a fifth of his acreage in corn
and a fifth in cotton and the rest III
other things, he has the advantage, i'll
a bad cotton year, of his neighbor who
gives all his acreage to cotton and, in
a bad corn year, of his neighbor VIII }
gives his whole farm up to corn. That
of course, is evident.
One of the good signs in South Geor-
gia, signs that there is a very appar
ent turning towards Investigation OF
crops, is the formation of corn, cattle
truck and hay clubs and associations
the objects of which are not only tc
increase the production of those things
per acre and to increase the acreag-
given up to them, but also to improvr
their chances of finding a profitable
market. Such efforts to promote eros
Investigation would be good policy a
any time, but especially at this tim,
IS it important that they be encourag
ed, for one great reason.
That reason is the near approach O.
the boil weevil. There doesn't seem Il
De any prospect that the barrier pla'
of keeping the weevil from spreadin;
over Georgia will be adopted and ther'
| is very grave doubt that if it should },
| it would be effective. The number 0
counties in which there are active oc
CARNATIONS of farmers whose intention
S to preach and practice diversity o
crops has been very largely increased
during the present summer. The frs
results of the work of the new organ
izations will be seen next year. By tina
time the boil weevil will have invade
very large section of the westerl
part of the state. Crop diversiicatior
] does not mean the abandonment o
cotton though several farmers VIII
plant a considerable acreage, have Civ
en- their whole farms up to oth@1
oroDc Rut II doac moan raising III