Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-04-10

| In all the investigations made it is ev-
ident that the best yields and the most
certain income accompany diversity Of
production. In other words as the de-
gree of diversity increased and the per
cent OF live stock maintained on the
farm rose. the more certain and defi-
mite were the returns 10 the land own
| err. For instance, a farmer who made
labor income Of $1.S27 secured IS per
cent of his receipts from crops and -
per cent from animals. This farmer
grew cotton, truck and other staple
crops for food and raised cattle ami
hogs in addition. His income was much
above the average of the labor incorhe
| for the state which is approximately
| S544 In other words, he secured more
than three times as much labor income
as the average individual. The diversity
of his operations and good business
methods account for his success.
From this it should not be concluded
that cotton should be eliminated. This
| would be a mistake. Where it can be
| grown with success its cultivation
should be continued by all means, and
! i'm so far as possible 1T should be made
the principal money crop, but to protect
himself against loss incident to the Sc
rious injury of the cotton crop by the
boil weevil. the farmer should produce
variety of crops which will virtually
make him independent of it and if he
does this his prosperity and success VIII
certainly be assured.
1t is simply a question of reforming
and changing our ideas, of substituting
new systems for old of getting out or
the rut into which we have fallen by
following so readily in the footsteps OF
our forefathers There is not farmer
but who might successfully grow some
truck crops or some special crops with
a reasonable degree of success. Certain
ly he can increase the area of land de-
voted to pasture and pasture substitutes
and thereby maintain larger number
of hogs and cattle than he has previ-
ously carried.
There is a chance for specialization.
For instance. one man might raise oats
along with the production of cotton, or
grow peanuts for the oil mills, or sugar
cane for the syrup manufacturer. Cat
can be utilized to good advantage on
nv farm as consumers of waste, such
as straw and slower may often consu-
tute At the same time, while paying
for their keep and making the FARMER
profit. they will. through their drop
DlnBS. GHdblG MIN " Ni'i III i'AN' ''N''N'N
supply them with organic matter to
commendable degree.
While the cotton acreage should be cut
down under serious weevil infestation,
or better still adjusted i'm proportion TO
the amount of labor. available, it would
appear that under the new system or
practice which must be Instituted, the
average labor and average work animal
will have to care for an Increased
number of acres of land if the degree of
diversity essential to success is brought
about To this end the organization and
cropping system of the farm should be
so planned as to employ men and AMI
mails more uniformly through the year.
II will also be necessary TO use larger
number of labor saving devices, there
by enable larger areas of land to be Gull
: tivated not only economically but in a
much shorter period of time. A good
implement skillfully handled bay be
made to do the work of several only
| fairly efficient and ordinarily undepun-
dable laborers. The machine will stay
where 1T is put and will respond to the
| touch of the masters hand Labor
may be scarce, high priced and difficult
to control. but with satisfactory equip
ment of machinery properly handled this
difficulty of the plantation owner under
| a recognized system of practice can GER
| tainly be minimized materially as COM
pared with conditions which exist at the
| present time.
To win success it will be necessary
| for the land owner to modify his ten
ant system, to change his basis of credit,
| to give closer supervision to his labor
and farm operations, to reduce his risk
by diversifying in the manner indicated,
| to increase his holding of livestock, to
| grow more grain as a source of food sup
| PLY. and to protect his land from erosion
| during the winter, to depend upon the
production of considerable amount of the
| fertility needed at home and to purchase
supplemental fertilizers more excessively
| in the future than he has done in the
past. The land owners will not find 1t
possible in the future to live in town and
win success by following the methods of
practices so long in vogue. He will need
to become a live aggressive and up-to-
date farmer and give his personal atten-
| tion and consideration to the operations
of his farm just as the successful bust