Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1914-10-30
FROM THE PEOPLE.
The Cotton Situation In a Nut.Shsu.

Shall it be cotton or no cottonI
The writer past through in anoth-
er section the 1898 panic-when
cotton went as low as 1 cents per
pound-and having noted careful.
ly the different plans adopted then
to tide over those conditions and
feeling very great interest in the
present situation, / will suggest a
plan which I feel sure will keep
the farmers on an independent
basis.
We have now not only worse
condition than existed then, but
also the boil weevil to contend
with. The history of the weevils'
progress shows that it gets worse
for period of at least five years
under ordinary circumstances.
Now, shall we plant cotton for the
next two years at cents or relieve
the situation with some other crop
and hold the present crop for 15
cents, which it is sure to bring if
we plant none for two years? We
will thereby save two years hard
work growing cotton for the same
money, and at the same time
starve out the weevil, the greatest
benefit of all-for if there is no cot
ton for two years the weevil will
have gone, but ever so little cot
ton planted, will keep it here.
But the question arises-what
other crops are the most remuner-
tive?
As stated above, have noted
Carefully what has been done and
found that wheat, by long odds,
comes in for first place. Then
comes oats, hay and whippowill
peas. The farmers made more
than they could possibly have made
on cotton.
Our plan was to SOW wheat in
November, which is the best time
for this section. Some made as
high as forty bushels per acre, the
average being about twenty five.
Wheat then was only fifty cents
per bushel, while today's Mem
phis paper quotes May wheat at
81. 20. This is not the same nature
of soil, of course, but as wheat re-
quires plenty of potash it seems
that this soil is even better for
wheat that the section about which
this is written. But if we can
average only 80 bushels. which is
placing it very low, and we can
only get 75c. this is equal to cot
ton at Sc, and the cost of raising
it is not near as great.
But that was not all. The wheat
was cut off in June, and as it was
a cash article we thrashed and
loaded it right on the cars at once,
thereby getting money in June in
stead of November, as with cotton.
Then we turned nnder the wheat
land with two horse plows, and
disced in broad cast whippowill
peas, which, with crab grass, made
an enormous crop of the best hay
ever used. This hay was frequent
ly put up in the field on rail pens,
and capped off with crab grass, as
rain will penetrate pea hay alone.
The hay would come down to the
ground on the north side to pro-
tect stock from cold. Then yearl.
ings, old;cows and colts were turned
in and kept in good condition all
winter with no further trouble
except to salt them. Then as
they would keep fat on range
through the summer we sold them
for cash in the fall without fur
ther expense. But the price for
cattle then was only about half
what they are now.
After the pea hay was cut off,
other vines would sprout and grow
to the heighth of 8 to II inches,
and would be turned under and
wheat planted again in the fall,
and a better crop was always made
the second year. Suppose the far
mers of this section were to try
this plan for two years and plant
not a stalk of cotton.
feel positively certain that we
will have more cash in the c0un-
try than we could possibly make
on cotton at q good price, which is
not to be looked for.
Then after two years of this kind
of cultivation the land will make
per 20 cent more cotton than now;
the boil weevil will De stamped
out, and land rested from cotton.
If we came out all right in such
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