Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1916-02-13

already discussing among themselves the steps to take, and all admit the conditions are most difficult to meet.
 Spirited Campaign Planned.
 That the campaign will be made, and that it will be spirited and stead fly fought, is generally admitted, just as the need for such is also generally admitted. The one feature which favors the campaign leaders is that the farmers admit they profited in larger degree last year because of diversification than they have ever profited in the past under the one crop plan. This fact is so prominent and so generally admitted ivy the farmers themselves, that the campaign leaders have no doubt they will be met with greater cordiality this wear than ever before.
 Another feature which promises to aid the diversification propagandists is the high cost of cotton seed. Many or the farmers will be able to pur- chase other necessities, through ad- vances from the big planters and the supply men, general merchants and bankers, but they are not going to be able to buy much cotton seed ar the prices now prevailing, and which are expected to prevail when planting time arrives. This will mean unques- tionably smaller acreage in cotton, and a larger acreage ill other stuff principally food and feed stuffs, and this in turn means following of the divcrsification and Hive at-home" plans.
 Jefferson Fortunate.
 Although they suffered in some de- gree from the floods, Jefferson and Pulaski counties were fortunate in that their losses in this respect were at minimum. Monroe, Prairie, Ar kansas, Phillips, Desha, Chicot, Drew and Lincoln counties, however, were not so fortunate. Each of these coun- ties had large eXpanse of land cov- cred by the flood waters, and some are still submerged in large degree. It is feared some sections will re- main under water a week or more, because of the high stage of water prevailing in the Mississippi. This will add to the burdens being carried ] by the relief committees in the various sections, because it will force hun dreds and thousands of men, women and children to remain as refugees until the water recedes and they can return to their home places-devas- tated, swept clean of improvements, but home nevertheless, the only home most of them know.
 The greater proportion of the suf- ferers are negroes, but there are many small white farmers and tenants, who are also now compelled to start all over again. Most of the negroes are tenants but they need aid as much as tenants as if they owned their own places-even more, because they have no security to offer for loans, and will be compelled to return to the "crop mortgage" basis-which is nothing more than their promise to plant q certain amount of certain crop this being, in 99 per cent of the cases, cotton-which goes to the holder of the crop mortgage first in quantity to settle the debt and the heavy in 1 terest, the remainder going to the | tenant. It is the very worst system of financing. according to the uni versal agreement between farmers, bankers and even the supply men | themselves.
 Small Cotton Acreage. It is a serious situation, and one which will call for serious considera- ton. The fight will be made all over again for diversification, and it will be waged harder than ever before. Be- fore the fight starts, two things are prominent:
 The cotton acreage will be reduced materially in the flooded section, be- cause of the very high price of cot ton seed and the inability of the small farmer to purchase large quantity of the seed.
 7'f, acreage in food and feedstuffs will be larger, because the farmers will plant something else when he can not plant cotton, and this something else" almost always will be food for himself and family and for his live stock-althoug few of the small farmers will have livestock except the horse or mule, with which he will cultivate his crop and which he will 1 have to purchase through the aid of his merchant or supply house.