Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-12-19
SUBSTITUTES FOR The
COTTON CROP.

| For many years there has been a
large and steady demand for American
cotton to be manufactured In British
and other European mills. with the re-
suit that large part OF the best agri-
cultural land in the southern states
| has been devoted exclusively to the
| raising of that crop. There was a time
when a much more diversified sort of
farming was practiced in the south.
More corn was raised and there was
more livestock. especially hogs and
sheep, on southern farms in proportion
to the population fifty years ago than
today. The mild climate and the long
growing season make 1t possible to
| raise a great variety of agricultural
products in that section. and are espe-
cially favorable to the production of
livestock. Cotton, however, promised
the surest and quickest returns. and
therefore cotton was planted almost
exclusively wherever it would grow.
| Now that the cotton market is sud
denly deranged by the European war.
the southern farmer finds himself not
only unable to sell his cotton, but
without the knowledge or the machin-
cry to raise and harvest any other
product. while his soil has been great
ly Impoverished by the lack Of any
rotation in crops.
| The risks and losses that result from
devoting the soil exclusively to one
crop have been experienced before by
American farmers. For many years
farmers in the middle west would raise
nothing but corn, until finally the low
price Of that grain. resulting from over
production. forced them into diversified
farming, which they have practiced
ever since with much better results.
| The one-crop system is the pet aver
sion of the scientific agriculturist. 1t
not only impoverishes the soil, thus
causing permanent loss to the nation
at large. and infects the soil with
diseases peculiar to the plant raised,
but it subjects the farmer to great
misfortune destroys the one crop upon
which he is dependent. Furthermore,
| it means that the farmer will have
money coming in but once year. and
that much of his harvesting and plant
ing will have to be done on credit.
Thus one-crop system means a f1uc-
tuating money supply and diversified
farming a stable one.
Furthermore, the man who practices
diversified farming must live upon his
land and give the work close p. sonal
| supervision, while the one-crop system
tends to create a. class of gentleman
|
tenants to cultivate the soil. In a
word. diversified agriculture is good
| farming and good business, and the
one-crop system is bad farming and
| bad business.
The incredibly swift spread of the
cotton boil weevil throughout the
sout h n
Beginning to Consider states fol-
Diversifying the Crops .Uauu we ne
planting of cotton in that section.
Government specialists have said that
| if the ravages of the boil weevil taught
the southern farmer the need for
rotation of crops it would be in one
sense a blessing in disguise. But the
farmer went on raising cotton and
lighting the boil weevil, for he could still
sell what he succeeded in raising. Now
the market for cotton is completely
deranGel, and for the first time the
southern farmer begins seriously to
consider the ACCESSIBILITY of diversity
ing his crops.
The first step in Investigation should
be the reduction Of expenses by raising
more food to be used by the family on
the farm, and more grain and forage
for the live stock. There are about one
fifth as many chickens on the average
farm in Alabama as there are on the
average Iowa farm. In the sections
where the value of diversified farming
has been learned. an excellent vegetable
garden for home use is usually main
tanned. but Ill The south, where the
planter often lives at a distance from his
land, this is seldom the case. More
poultry and garden truck for use at home
will help the southern farmer to tide
over the present crisis
Other money crops must be substi-
tuted for cotton, and these must be of
such kind that they will build up the
impoverished soil of the cotton belt Gov
! eminent specialists are advising the
southern farmer to plant winter grain,
which can be used for winter and early
spring grazing. can be harvested either
as hay or as grain. and also win make
excellent cover crops" to be turned
back into the soil and thus enrich It.
Organic fertilizer is the great need Of
southern soil.
When the winter grain crop has been
harvested, summer legumes. such as cow
peas. beans and clover may be planted,
and these also will furnish either forage
or cover crops.
:. :. !,
Wheat, oats and barley are the best
winter grain cronS In most pIace fh>re