Farmers' champion. (Elgin, Okla.) 1912-1922, 1913-10-08
INVESTIGATION ON
SOUTHERN FARMS
Some Reasons for Getting Away
From One. Crop Idea.
VITAL PROBLEM FOR FARMER
Must InaueVrats . ssss and Sane sys-
tenn Of Farming to Enrich, Instead
o. Wearing Out Our Lande-
Cotton Exhausts huuws
(By q. II. ALFORD.l

tBy q. II. ALFORD)
There are two problems before &c
for solution. However. the most real
and vitsl problem before us just At
this time is to get our farmers to prac.
tice safe and sane system Of farm
Ing: one that will include crops 10 en-
rich instead OF wear out our lands:
one that will include plenty Of good
live stock to consume the surplus prod
ucts and the lesuminous crops that
must be grown to enrich the land and
to make manure to still 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 .
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.
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-
sive culture OF cotton makes II 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-
tdre Of cotton has caused overproduc-
tion, thereby forced the price far below
nj ltoh Shns -
been but little more than a bare liv-
ing for cotton farmers. The too OK.
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 diversifcation 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 SO long pre-
vailed. we're unable to get out OF debt
and go forward unhampered on an
independent basis. This Is 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 is 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
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 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 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
soil fertility. and for this reason any
system OF farming that causes q de.
cline In the fertility OF the soil Is q
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
tion Is our prosperity diminished. No
living man has ever acquired the art
OF growing good crops OF grain. grass
es, cotton or vegetables on poor land.
Poor soil always means small yields;
small yields always means poor peo-
pie, and poor people always means
the credit system. very little educa.
tion. uncomfortable homes, poorly
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
the place OF a large part OF the cotton,
and that you will make as large net
profits from the sale OF these crops
rs you make from cotton. Land that
will make one-half to three-fourths
bale Of cotton per acre. on the aver
age one year with another, will make
30 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
ihe 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 |
Is increased while with the too ex. |
elusive culture OF cotton the fertility
rapidly decreases.
The most destructive and energetic
insect that the world has ever known |
Is gradually covering the cotton belt.
There Ia one hope and only one hope
for the farmers. and that is the diver.
sification OF crops. The adoption OF
a sane and safe system OF farming
,ne that will grow grasses. leguminous
crops, oats. corn. hogs. sheep. cattle.
mules. horses and some cotton will