The Arvada enterprise., 1917-11-29

cotton acreage would have resulted In IN even
more serious prcdicnmcnt for the cotton planters
during the summer senson.
Another reason for the decline In production nav
been the strong pressure brought to bear upon
the South to practice diversified farming This
hns resulted In some states In II considerable de'
crease In the cotton acreage In order that more
corn. wheat, Oats. hay and other food crops might
he grown, though these conditions IRE more or
less local. The government In engaged In a cam
paign to Interest the South In feeding ITSELF and
many thousands Of farmers who planted cotton
almost exclusively have embarked In diversified
farming In the last two years.
The idea back Of the diversified farming move.
ment In the South Is to make cotton the money.
making CROP and TO utilize corn md other staple
farm crops to pay the cspcnses Of operating the
farm and to enable the South to produce enough
fOOdstuffs to feed itself Thus. tenant farmer
who hns 40 acres In cotton would, provided he
practiced diversified farming successfully. make
from $500 to 5000 year. all from the sale OF
his cotton. This would he net prOnt. but would
not Of course, include the increased value given
the land through the enrichment Of the soil BY
the crop-rotation plan. The average tenant farm.
or who practices crop rotation well can double
his cotton production within two three years. II
has been demonstrated
This gives food for speculation as TO the posi-.
bilIty which would follow the general adoption
of crop liberalization throughout the South The
average tenant farmer can grow barely more than
one bale Of cotton To the acre, though with
proper farming and fertilization he can Increase
this yield 10 three bales AN acre. according to
farming experts. However, not all of the South.
ern cotton fields arc soil Impoverished and Il
would DO doing the better-ciass cotton planter
an Injustice to Say that by proper farming no
could double or triple his cotton crop OF the
35.OOOOtO acres planted In cotton this year, .
large percentage Of the acreage could he no 10.
creased In fertility M to double the Yield By
1910. provided crop rotation was followed out
along the most modern lines.
with better farming the South will thus be
nbe to make its a5.OOOyOOO acres or more do the
work Of from 450OO.OOO to 5OOOO.OOO acres under
the old plan. Any important reduction In acreage,
therefore, In not to he looked upon with alarm
for there IN certain 10 no q consequent Increase
In production. barring unforeseen weather Gallant.
ties. To this Increased production must be added
the millions Of dollars added Ia the wealth Of the
South by the other farm products grown In In.
creased quantities.
Tho slogan 1.-THE South Must Feed Itself" 10
the OugrOwth Of this campaign for crop r0ts.
tion Nh prncticed In the North and West.
The realization Of this dream would n,id hun.
drcts OF millions Of dollars to the wealth Of tho
South alone, for almost all Of the states will h..
come producers instead Of consumers DESPITE
the cnvinbls climate and the good soil possess~d
by Alabama there are many counties which spend
on" million donrs or more each ycnr In import.
Ing outside fO0iStufrs With the practice Of N.
ver"ihed farming II Will be possible for every
county IN tho state to export much corn and
other farm crops an II now Imports.
Some observers have taken tho view ssperiaiiy
since the entry Of the United Stntes into tho
war Inns resulted In Increased activity In the d.
versifcd farming campaign, that n serious blow
II Intended ut King Cotton but such Ia not tha
rnse. The whole idcn Of the campaign is not 10
uDroot tho chief Southern crops for the Northern
crops. hut 70 rotate such crops NJ have soil.
rnrrh'ng values. va M 10 enable tho Southern
soil :" produc" even gr"nt"r cotton crops. h.
cnnse of ~ revolutionary character. the divers,.
Ned farming campaign hns not made much prog.
r'rs except In Alabama. Georgia and neIxhbortns
states which have h"sn adding tens of millions
0f dollars IN the value of their farm products
cnch ysnr In recent yrnrs
When tho war sent corn and wheat 10 sky.
high prices nlobv with cotton, II proved much
"nscr 10 enlist the sympnthics NJ tho Southern
farmer. md many thousands of farmers are max.
Ing more money growing hgh.pricrd corn and
wheat than they did In growing cotton This Ia
due chiefly 10 tho relief given the soii ny crop
rotation. md such conditions VIII be- cvcs moro
common next season. when tho soil rebuilding
process adopted by nnfurc II given time In ret
well underway. Impetus hns none been giv,sa
crop diversihrntIon by the shortage NJ labor Ths
most NJ these crops require less nb0r than rot.
ton md cnn De tended more efficiently han cottS0