The Fayette falcon. (Somerville, Tenn.) 190?-current, 1915-02-12
DiversificatiOn of Crops By
TT. Peck, Commissioners of
Agriculture.

they will employ it to a good advantage
If they will take stock Of present day
conditions and plan an adjustment Of
their farm operations for the coming
year to suit conditions.
Farmers have drifted too much into
the one crop method of farming, anC
because of that fact have to buy fol
home consumption so many things their
fathers produced at home. If any
farmer will take the trouble to find out
the amount of potatoes. fruits and
canned goods that are imported into
Tennessee. the amount of money that
has gone out Of the State that should
have remained here. and when he
realizes that we can produce as good as
the best, and he lOokes over farm and
finds land idle that could have produc-
ed that which he has bought, and re-
called the time lost that could have
been better employed growing those
things. he cannot fail to realize that he
is largely to blame for his balance at
the bank being so much smaller than it
should be.
While he has found it something of a
burden to pay for the things he could
raised, if he plans this years crop along
the same lines he will find himself in a
very much worse shape year hence
than at the present time.
The war in Europe has brought about
many changes. The majority of able
bodied men in those countries are bear
ing arms, fighting instead of farming.
They are not producing foodstuffs, but
the armies must be fed as we'll as their
families. This is going to create
great demand for food products at in
creased prices. Much of our fruits and
canned goods will be exported. If our
farmers depend on buying instead of
raising such products on their own
farms, they may make up their minds
to pay fancy prices that will eat up the
profits from their general crops.
Would it not be good business fore.
sight in view of the abnormal demand
and high prices, to plan now to produce
at home not only what is consumed at
home, but help supply the demand from
abroad that is going to be enormous?
Would it not be wise for communities
to get together and plan their crops so
that they would produce variety and
at the same time quantity and quality,
to attract buyers at the fancy prices
that will prevail where quantity and
quality can be found?
1t has been the custom Of farmers to
act independent of their neighbors, and
grow crops that were most convenient
for them, losing sight of market de-
mands and the fact that what they
would produce taken alone would not
justify those in the market hunting up
the small amount that they alone could
produce. We have shown too much in
difference about the condition of our
products when taken to market, and
the small quantities have cut the prices
received in half.
The farmers of Tennessee have be-
fore them period of great prosperity |
il they will work together to produce |
quantity and quality to meet market
demands. Now is the time to get to-
gether and plan the coming years pro-
duction. The demand for the right |
crops Is going to be great. We have
all the conditions favorable for supply
ing the demands If we will do our part |
and use the energy and intelligence
God has given US. We will be untrue
to Him, to our families and ourselves
II we let this golden opportunity go by
nnimproved.
In portions of the State cotton has
been the one crop as 1t has been in
all the southern states. A
large crop was raised last year. The
war in Europe has temporarily cut off |
the demand for our export cotton, ruin
ing the price for the time. The aver
age farmer can't afford to hold. He is
compelled to lose on the last crop
grown, has done so already, but he can
avoid recurrence of such a condition
II he will plan first to raise on his farm |
at least what he consumes Of food for |
himself and his livestock and plan for
bis cotton to be surplus that he can
afford to hold for satisfactory prices.
Then his surplus crop win command
prices that will put him ahead and in
dependent instead of being slave to |
the old one crop system.
When farmers get more cohesion to
work together, when they plan first TO !
produce at home what is consumed at
home and have their surplus crops so
that there win be produc-
tone enough of each to supply quantity |
to attract q market and not produce |
all Of the crop to glut the market with |
that commodity, the products attrac-
lively marketed, then, and not until
then will the farmers enter upon the
full measure Of prosperity possible for
them IN eniov