Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1914-12-11
LESS COTTON ACREAGE
Cotton Growers win Profit by
Severe Lesson.
Up to Individual Farmer to Decide
What Crops Can Be Grown Most
Suecessfully-Experts Preach
Doctrine of Diversifcatlon.

Indications are that the farmers Of
the cotton-growing states have profited
by the evere lesson that has been
taught them by the failure Of the cot
ton market, and there will be a great
decrease in the cotton acreage. The
next serious problem that confronts
the southern farmer is, What shall l
plant in the place of cotton?"
The unanimous advice Of agricul-
tural experts is for the raising Of
more food crops, grain and live stock.
The more popular Of these crops are
wheat, oats and alfalfa Other profit
able crops suggested + pea vine.
sweet potatoes, Irish potatoes, cow
peas. corn, sugar cane, sorghum, vel
vet bean, clover, rye, tobacco. figs.
strawberries and peanuts.
Soil and climatic conditions have
much to do with deciding what should
be raised in the place Of cotton. In
some portions Of the South wheat can
be raised ~proitably, while in others 1t
would be labor lost. The qualifications
Of the farmer to raise the different
crops also enters into the question for,
while one farmer may be successful
with garden truck another in the same
neighborhood may make a failure Of
the same crop, but would be success
full with grains. In the end, 1t Is
really up to the individual farmer to
decide what crops can be grown most
successfully on his farm and what
crops he is the better qualified to
grow.
Doctrine of DIversificatIon.
For q number of years the agricul-
tural experts Of the cotton-growing
states have been preaching the doc
trine of diversified crops. They have
been successful to q certain extent.
Cotton has been the chief staple Of the
South for a great many years and it is
difficult for the average cotton planter
to get away, even partly, from the
crop that has been the breadwinner
for many generations.
Another thing that Is to be taken in
to consideration Is the fact that many
Of the cotton farmers know practically
nothing Of growing other crops. 1t
will not be an easy matter for these
farmers to give up q crop that they
have become the most expert in the
world in raising for other crops Of
which they know little or nothing
about.
When asked what should be planted
in the place Of cotton, an agricultural
expert suggested that q rotation crop
Of wheat and pea-vine hay be planted.
He said that an acre Of wheat would
produce rs bushels. After the grain had
been removed he said that q crop Of
pea-vine hay could be planted. With
the proper marketing facilities the
farmer should receive $25 for his
wheat and $40 for the pea-vine hay,
making a total Of $45 earned by both
crops from one acre. AS cotton will
average n bale to the acre, this
would be equal to cotton at nine cents
. pound.
While it is true that cotton usually
sells for more than nine cents a pound
with normal market conditions, the
cost Of raising a bale Of cotton is
much greater than raising wheat and
pea-vine hay on the same acre, be-
u a great deal more fertilizer and
labor Is required for the raising Of
cotton. Another argument for the
raising of the rotation of crops in
preference to the cotton crop is that
the wheat and pea-vine crop will
leave the soil improved in fertility and
humus will be added, while cotton de-
pletes the soil and requires a continual
application of fertilizer to build 1t up.
Never in previous years have the
agricultural experts employed by the
different states in the South been
III demand than they will be In the
ACAI yCdL. AuC dlu IAOy WILL iCAuCA "
the farmers in solving the problems of
diversified farming will be invaluable.
The farmers will be required to lean
very heavily upon these experts for
advice and suggestions as to the new
crops. The farm demonstrators will
be continually visiting from place to
place, giving practical lessons in how
the various new crops should be han
died.
According to reports from commits
sioners of agriculture in the cotton
growing states the farmers are al
ready coming to them for advice re-
garding fall grains. That the farmers
are serious about reducing their cot
ton acreage and the planting Of d.
versified crops is exempli1ed in the
appeal made by the farmers to these
experts for help. The experiment
stations of the states are daily furnish
Ing much valuable information to
farmers.
The farmers wife, as well as the
farmer, will come in for her share Of
the responsibility for the raising Of
more foodstuffs in the place Of cot
ton. While the farmer is busily en-
gagged with his diversified crops, the
farmers wife will be urged to try her