The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-12-18
THE HAsKIN LETTER
Substitute for the Cotton Crop.
By Frederick J. HasIIin.

n lsd ~ ~ S4S0SEAN
For many years there has been
large and steady demand for Ameri
can cotton to be- manufacturer II
hItisn and other European mills
win the result that a large part o.
lne Dest agricultural land in thu
southern states3has been devoted ex
cIusively to the raising OF that crop
Ihere was time when a much more
diversified sort Of farming was prac
iced In the South. More corn wal
raised, and there was more livestock
especially hogs and sheep. on south.
ern farms in proportion to the pop.
ulatton nifty years ago than today
The mild climate and the long grow.
ing season make 1t possible to raise
great variety of agricultural prod
ucts in that section, and are espe.
clally favorable to the production OF
livestock. Cotton, however, prom
ises the surest and quickest returns,
fand therefore cotton was planted al
most exclusively wherever it would
grow.
Now that the cotton market is
suddenly deranged by the European
war, the southern farmer finds him
self not only unable to sell his cot
Ton; but without the knowledge or
the machinery to raise and harvest
any other product. while his soil has
been greatly 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 by
American farmers. For MANY wears
farmers in the Middle West would
raise nothing but corn, until finally
the low price Of that grain, resulting
from overproduction, forced them In
to diversified farming, which they
have practiced ever since with much
better results.
The one-crop system is the pet
aversionyof the scientific agriculturist
It not only impoverishes the soil,
thus causing permanent loss to the
nation at large, and infects the soil
with disease peculiar to the plant
raised, but 1t subjects the, farmer to
great losses whenever drought. or
any other misfortune destroys the
one crop upon which he Is dependent.
Furthermore, it means that the far
mer will have money coming In but
once a year, and that much Of his
harvesting and planting will have
to be done on credit. Thus, one
crop system means fluctuating
money supply, and diversified farm
ing a stable one.
Furthermore. the man who prac-
tees diversified farming must live
upon his land, and give the work
close personal supervision, while the
one-crop system tends to create a
class of gentlemen farmers who
live in towns, and leave tenants to-
cultivate the soil. In a word, diver
sified agriculture is good farming and
good business, and the one-crop sys-
TEN is bad farming and bad business.
The incredibly swift spread Of the
cotton-weevil throughout the south
ern states followed the exclusive
planting Of cotton in that section.
Government specialists have said
that II the ravages of the boll-weeyil
taught the southern farmer the need
for q rotation of crops, it would be
in one sense blessing in disguise.
But the farmer went on raising cot
ton and fighting the boll-weeyil. for
he could still sell what he succeeded
in raising. Now the market for cot
ton is completely deranged. and for
the first time, the southern farmer
begins seriously to consider the adj
visibility of deversifying 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-flfth as many
chickens on the average Alabama
farm as there are on the average
Iowa farm. In the section where the
value of diversified farming has been
learned. an excellent vegetable gar-
den for home use is usually main
tanned. but in 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 substt-
tulSO IuT COtLUu, dHl LlGSe must De
OF such kind that they will build
up the impoverished soil of the cot.
ton belt. Government 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 lay or as
grain, and also will make excellent
cover crops" to be turned back
into the soil and thus enrich it. Or
ganic fertilizer is the great need OF
southern soil,
When the winter grain crop has
been harvested, summer legumes.
such as cowpeas. 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 crops, In most
places there is local demand for
them may be fed to livestock either
them may be fed to Livestock either
as grain or as hay. 1t would seem
q simple matter for the southern
farmer to substitute these crops for
cotton for one year at least, thus inn
proving their soil and giving the COT
ton market chance to regain its
at the same time; but, as
q matter of fact. there are numerous
difficulties. Many CT the southern
plantations are cultivated In small
areas by tenants These men have