The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1916-04-27
The Cotton Crop For 1916.

Cotton experience IN lSlo gave us
many things to think about. In the
first place, a great war in Europe has
not kept the price down, as so many
of us thought it would. In the Sec
ond place, we have learned that cot
ton can be profitably grown for am
munition as well as for clothing. In
the third place, we have learned that
the English blockade does not cause
any undue fluctuation in price. In
the fourth place, the eastward march
Of the boil weevil does not unduly re-
duce the yield.
We must recognize the Importance
OF continuing to grow cotton. 1t IS
Mt this time pre-eminently United
states crop, and we must hold our
own in the production of this ready
money crop. Our Southern farmers
are used to growing it and hesitate
TO shift away from it into the grow
ing of other crops. In fact, they
should not do this. They should add
other crops to cotton, not substitute
them for cotton. In adding other
crops we should go rather slow, and
not unnecessarily reduce the price
of hay and grain. We must instead
slowly add other crops and create by
degrees a steady increase in demand
for our Southern foods and feed
stuffs.
In 1916 we shall plant fewer acres
in cotton than we have in four or i've
wears, but we shall not grow fewer
number of bales. Everything ind1-
Gates that this is true. Our farmers
have learned that several things will
help to do this. They are beginning
I'm earnest to demand good seed for
planting. Nothing is Of more i'm
portance than good seed, and we urge
farmers to be more fastidious than
ever before about this very important
matter. 1t has been proved by &C
tual t.s. that seed of high grade, free
from disease, and that germinate
more than 90 per cent. pure, will &C
tually yield 20 per cent. more cotton
than seed of low grade and that are
diseased. What does this mean? 1t
means that if you make thousand
dollars with poor seed you will make
twelve hundred dollars with good
seed. The two hundred dollars IL
crease in actual valuation of the cot
ton crop will cost only fifty or sixty
dollars if you buy the seed. If you
sell the old seed to help pay for them
and get market or mill price for the
old seed, the cost will be reduced by
40 per cent. We cannot urge too
strongly the planting of pure seed.
Farmers have also learned that by
careful planning of the crop and by
good farm management, they can
save more of the money they get
from the sale of cotton. It is quite
unnecessary to raise cotton with
which to buy horse, hog and cattle
feed, as we'll as food for our tables.
1t is not wise policy to raise cot
ton with which to buy our bacon and
bread, when only few acres set
aside for raising hogs and hog feed
will cut the cost of these products in
half. In teaching and practicing di-
versifcation of crops we should never
get the idea that it will become
necessary to set aside cotton. Di-
versifcation helps to cheaper the
production of cotton and to get us
interested in intensive farming. AS
soon as we begin to diversity we get
the idea of making more per acre.
We then begin to make more per
acre, and find it possible to produce
our allotted ten bales of cotton to
eighteen acres, instead of to twenty
five acres as heretofore. and we have
seven acres on which to raise hogs