Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-09-08

In every community which the boil
weevil has infested. it has been neces-
sary TO readjust our farm practice This
being true, how much better it would
be III the adjustment could be made IN
part at least before the necessity arose
for a change. II this method were fol-
lowed the farmer would have several
years in which TO adjust himself TO a
new set Of conditions and could thus
avoid the violent changes in his plans
which he is now often forced to make.
Any change in farm methods which viii
enable the southern planter 10 meet the
advance OF the boil weevil successfully
must be predicated on a proper system
OF diversificatiOn. which means natur-
ally getting away from the one-crop
system. Many people do not seem u
appreciate the true significance of the
use OF the word diversity" and there
fore IL may be well at the outset TO
have a thorough understanding of what
this term implies.
BY diversifcatiOn is meant living az
home" In other words. producing the
supplies needed for the maintenance Of
the human beings andNthe animals kept
on the farm. After this is done. one or
more crops should be grown for mon
etary purposes. and these crops should
be those best suited to the soil and eli
matte conditions. and which are likely
10 find a ready sale at good prices. In
the south this crop viii of necessity
always be cotton. II the method Of
farming indicated above were pursued.
however. the cotton crop would then
become a surplus crop and not as now
the primary crop. During all the years
in which cotton has been the chief crop
OF the southern farmers. we have had a
- IA
years. following each other in a varied
succession. If the cotton crop We're
relatively small and the price hign,
there was great prosperity; if the cot
ton crop was greater than was needed
10 supply the demand. the price fell
and there was a depression This zig
rag system Of agricultural practice
should have been done away with long
. ago. and now in the face OF the weevil,
a new type Of farming must be institut-
ed as a matter OF self-prOtectiOn with
the probability that the area devoted
10 the cotton crop will have to be- re-
duced and the system of farm practice
so adjusted as 10 avoid the occurrence
OF Fat and lean years
The one-crop system is unsafe because
no provision Is made for maintaining
the fertility OF the land. for the raising
and maintenance of a sufficient number
of live stock TO consume the waste on
the farm. or for the establishment IF
any rotation worthy of the name or a
system OF farm management predicatsd
on safe business methods The one
crop system brings all the funds into
hand at one season of the year, and
fails 10 supply the necessary food sup
ply. II also tends TO circumscribe ones
knowledge and does not encourage the
adoption OF new methods
Any system of safe farming should
provide. therefore. for the following
Items: First, the cultivated area of the
farm should be so divided as TO enable
the growth OF enough corn to land the
family and the live stock throughout
the year. The area will vary with the
fertility OF the land. but on a Two
horse farm not less than ten. or. better
still. twenty acres OF land should be
devoted to this crop. In a yield Of corn
can be obtained. there will be 400 BUSH
els OF corn available for use by the
family and live stock. which SHOULD be
a suficisnt amount for all practical Tur-
poses Second enough land should be
devoted 10 the cultivation OF oats and
small grains to supplement the corn
crop. The land cultivated in cotton