The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1916-06-13
THE SOUTH AWAkENS.
Various Agricultural Departments
Work for iversification.

For the live STOCK DreeueT OF tne
north the south offers a great oppor
tunity. For years cotton has domi
mated the agriculture of the south
while millions OF dollars have been
sent north each year to buy meat
and other products which should have
been produced at home. This is not
because the south cannot grow these
products. 1t is because southern peo
pie have been practicing the one crop
system of farming and because the
cattle tick has been permitted to
stand as an effectual bar against prof
liable raising of good breed of live
stock.
The south, however, has begun to
awaken. The boil weevil has forced
the southern farmer to considera-
| tion of diversified farming. Live stock
Is considered the backbone of profit
able diversified farming. without 1t
the land becomes impoverished or
largely dependent upon commercial
fertilizers. The south is particularly
adapted to live stock because of its
long season and mild climate, which
permit the growing of green forage
crops the year around.
Hogs and Peanuts.
The south has long been recognized
as a good hog country, not only be-
cause of the possibilities for its large
: yields of corn but because of its adap-
liability to the growing of peanuts, the
feeding of which has helped to give
that section first rank in the cheap
ness of pork production.
On the other hand, successful cat
tie raising on large scale has been
out of the question while the Texas
fever cattle tick was allowed to take
its toll in death and depleted milk
and beef production.
"A relentless warfare against the cat.
tie tick has been started. 1t has made
such progress that the next few years
are considered sure to see the doom
of the tick in the south and the wide
opportunity for the northern breeder
of cattle and hogs. Conditions which
made the south one of the largest
markets for northern meat products
have left it without the supply of pure
bred cattle and hogs necessary to
meet the demands of the new south.
The advantages of the south as
live stock country are manifold There
is a ready market with high prices
for beef, dairy and poultry products
and grains; land is cheap, the climate
is mild two and sometimes three
crops can be grown on the same soil
in the same year, and the soil is
adapted to the growing of a great
variety of forage crops of corn and
other grains.
Beef and pork can be produced at
low cost as live stock can be pastured
the year around Rainfall is abundant
and everywhere are streams and
springs to water the herds. At present
land is cheap and the south can pro
duce as much corn to the acre as the
most fertile lands of the corn belt in
the north.
Florida in the Lead.
The forces in the south are already
organized in preparation for the new
industry Florida is in the van of
other southern states with a thorough
ly organized campaign to eradicate
the tick and open the way for new
breeds of cattle in that section. Six
ty thousand dollars year has been |
subscribed by land owners, cattle |
men and the railroads of Florida for |
period of three years for the pur-
pose of driving out the tick and es- |
tablshing the cattle industry on a |
safe basis, This money is being eX-
pended under the direction of a |
special committee known as the tick |
eradication committee of the southern |
settlement and development organiza-
ton at Jacksonville. In its work this |
receives the cooperation |
and assistance of the federal and |
state departments of agriculture. The |
bankers and newspapers are lending