The Covington leader. (Covington, Tenn.) 18??-current, 1917-02-08
FOOD, FEED AND FERTILITY


Washington, D. G., Feb. 5.-Food,
feed and fertility are the foundation
Of safe farming according to the
United States Department of Agrri-
culture. A circular sent to farmers,
bankers, and business men in cotton
territory by the Chief Of the Office
of Extension Work in the South says:
LET us feed the people, feed the live
stock, and feed the soil. When we
have done these three things, then
raise such arceage in money crops as
we have the labor to tend"
The circular points out that the
/ true value Of cotton to the farmer is
to a great extent the amount of food
and feed that it will purchase. The
price of cotton has risen, it is true,
but so has the retail price of all other
farm products. by growing all cot
ton, says the circular, "and eXchang
ing it for a living, you are simply
swapping a high-priced product pro-
duced by your labor for a high-priced
product produced by the labor of the
other fellow. When you follow safe
farming, however, you produce your
own food and feed at cost and sell
your cotton for the other fellows
dollars
Safe farming is defined IN the cir
cular as including these items;
~ A home garden for every fam
lily on the farm, from one-tenth to
one-fourth acre, well located, well
titled, and tended as carefully as any
other crop on the farm, planted in
rotation to time the vegetable crops
so as to have a continual supply for
the family table as many days in the
year as possible. To this should be
added one-fourth of an acre of pota-
toes, either Irish or sweet, or both,
to be used as food for the family.
~ Enough corn on each farm to
last the family and the live stock for
one year, with little excess for
safety
(3) Sufficient oats and other
small grain to supplement the corn
as food for one year with certainty.
These small grains conserve the soil
in winter and provide summer grazing
for live stock.
(4) Hay and forage crops to sup
ply the live stock on the farm for one
year, with a little excess for safety.
The legumes, which add fertility to
the soil and produce the best hay,
should not be forgotten
(5) The necessary meat, eggs, and
milk for the family. The meat should
be procured by increased attention to
poultry and hogs because of the rapid
ity with which these can be produced.
Every family should have at least two
cows, so that one can be in milk all
the time A sufficient number of
brood sows should be kept to produce
the pork for the family, with some
excess for sale. The average number
of poultry per farm should be gradu-
ally increased to at least so. There
should be eggs and poultry for the
home table, with sufficient excess
for sale. The live stock on the farm
should be gradually increased so as
to consume the otherwise wasted
products and make productive the I'M
productive and untillable lands.
(6) Cotton for the main money
crop after the living has been amply
provided for.
~ The sale of the surplus prod
ucts of the garden, the orchard, the
poultry, the live stock, and the feed
crops to cover the necessary running
expenses of the farm, leaving the
cotton as the real cash crop.
The present prices Of cotton, says
the circular, should not be permitted
to tempt any farmer to depart from
this program. 1t is the only safe
plan to follow, no matter what the
price of cotton may be.