Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1915-01-08
From the County Agri-
cultural Commissioner

How to begin? What plans to settle
on? These are all questions that are
debatable and hazy. You have to de.
eide these things, though before you
can begin your crop. To work all the
year unsettled about your plans will
certainly be unsatisfactory. The Euro
pean war has 80 disturbed the worlds
commerce as to put us all debating
how much to reduce the cotton crop?
Will corn and oats be profitable with
the largely increased acreage that will
be made? Will there be market for
peas, soy beans, peanuts ard syrup with
the big acreage added to the normal
acreage of these crops? Any crop you
contemplate, carries the question that
is common to all-wH II pay7 Any
one who believes the farmers of this
county are inseparably welded to cot
ton assure them of living for this
year from any crop and pote the result.
Times of oppression always brings
good to everyone. When prosperity is
general we are content to go on with
out making one change, though the fact
stares us in the face that present meth
DDS will ultimately threaten the very
life OF the source of our prosperity and
institute poverty in its stead. We 90
on and on without the thought of q,
change because we have plenty and our !
credit is good, but when the stability of |
the source of our income is threatened
we are forced to contemplate changes,J
We. .inaugurate them and they always
benefit US. You will make them this
year and if they embrace rotation of
crops, in spite of your doubts and ques-
tionings, You will be materially bene-1
fitted. You believe this as strongly as
l do. Ms
There are two factors that will gov
ern the cotton acreage this year; the
greater Is the uncertainty of its price
next fall, and the other is the fear of
boil weevil damags:NA year ago no
one thought. the second mentioned could
be regulated to second place.
Let US consider some of the crops we
shall plant this year: We will begin
with cotton because heretofore it has
been oar Teading money crop, a1d my
opinion is it will still hold that place.
If knew every cotton planter in this
county would like to have my advice, l
would unhesitatingly say, reduce the
acreage to about five acres to the mule.
That would be very heavy reduction
for sumo, yet it is not too, great. Cot
ton may sell for cents or Is cents
next fall. With such small acreage
every one can prepare the land f ar bet
,er than the usual preparation, and if
The weevils show up numerously in the
spring, the acreage per hand is so
small that the damage therefrom should
De small. Buy good seed if you can
ind seed you are sure are good, but
lon't conclude that they are good, be-
,ause some one has advertised them at
i. so to So. 90 per bushel.
If you have not already planted oats
you should SOW as early now as the
yround will permit. Sow about five
.cres for each mule or horse. Oats
lowed now are not as sure as if they
lad been put in in September or Octo-
)er, but take a chance and SOW.
hink it would be unwise to sow large
.creage this season of the year for
market crop. What you want is agood
upply of food for the work stock.
Jorn is too high to buy to grow cotton.
Jorn is good money crop at present
,rices where the yield is as much as
s bushels per acre. | am sure we
hall have the largest acreage this year :
his county has had for years. Can we as
cunt on prices to hold as high as they pc
re now? You don't know nor does
ny one else. Grow corn and as much sh
f it per acre as you can. Work it this VI
ear as assiduously as you have always tn
yorked cotton. We export lots of corn su
nd the demands from European coun- in
ries will be immense through next fall be
nd winter. ia
Our outlook for maritime fleet of Sit
reighters is better than that of Argln- su
inc. Don't figure so much on the mon
v you will make as you do on the big w
rop you will grow. If the demand is ur
ood and you have the corn you are al
Ight. If the demand is small you can
Sc twice as much corn as you usually a.
Sc. Every farm product can hardly -.
e cheap the same year. =,
Plant peas in all the corn and besides a. O.
1ese, plant more peas and still more. W. W.,
he land needs them, your hogs and ".
ows need them. and you need lots of ~
lem another year for seed. You can ~, TN
ardly overdo pea planting. 10,
The peanut crop has attracted some HI
lterest in this county this year. 1t is ~ ~
ne of the best crops available for any nd nd
,uthern farmer. 1t is staple COM 49,
.rScNsl crop just as corn, hay and cot
., THOUGH not % extensive '' any Of 0'