Pocahontas star herald., 1914-11-20
LESS COTTON ,CREleE
Gotten Growers WIN Profit by
Sgvare Lesson.
Up TO Individual Farmer 10 Decide
What Crops c-l Be Grown Most
eessfully-EEperts Preach
Doctrine Of liberalization.

the cotton'growing states have prottcd
by the severe lesson that has been
taught them by the failure Of the cot.
ton market. and there win be great
decrease In the cotton acreage, The
next serious problem that confronls
the southern farmer II. What shall l
plant In the place of eotton?'
The unanimous advice OF agrlcul-
tural experts Is for the raising OF
more food crops, Grain aud live stock
The more popular OF these crops are
wheat, oats and alfalfa. Other profit
able crops suggested are pea vine,
sweet potatoes, Irish potatoes, COW
peas. corn. sugar cane, sorghum, vel
vet bean. clover, rye, tobacco. fgs,
strawberries ard 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 prolltnbly, while IN others Il
would be labor lost The qualifications
uf 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
ful with grains. In the end. II 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 piyersiEeation.
For a number OF years the agrlcul.
tural experts OF tie coiton-growing
states have been preaching the doc
trine OF diversified crops. They have
been successful 10 a certain extent.
Cotton has been the chief staple OF the
South for a great many years and Il 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. Il
will not be an easy matter for these
farmers to give up a crop that they
have become the most expert In the
world in raising foc other crops Of
which they know little or nothing
about.
Mnen asked what should be planted
In the place Of cotton, an agricultural
expert suggested that a rotation. crop
Of wheat and pea-vine hay be planted.
lie said taat an acre OF wheat would
produce 25 bushels After the grain had
been removed he said that a crop ot
rea.vine hay could be planted. With
the proper marketing facilities the
farmer should receive S25 for his
wheat and $50 for the pea.vine hay.
making a total OF s45 earned by both
crops from one acre. As cotton VIII
average one balls 10 the acre, this
would be equal to cotton at nine ccg:s
a pound.
While Il 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
cause 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 n continual
application OF fertilizer to build It up.
Never in previous years have the
agricultural experts employed by the
different states in the South been more
IN demand than they will be in the
next year The aid they will render to
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 demons traitors 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 di.
versified crops is excmpIiiied in the
appeal made by the farmers TO these
experts for help The experiment
statfons'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 foodstufls in the place of cot
ton. While the farmer is bus.ly en-.
gagged with his diversified crops, the
farmers wife will be urged to try her
hand in raising chickens, geese, tur-
keys and pigeons. As there is already
a ready cash market for poultry, eggs,
butter and cheese, the farmers W >