Mohave County miner., 1917-02-10
CIRCULARS ON SAFE
FARMING ARE SENT
OUT BY WASHINGTON

WASHINGTON, D. c., Feb. g.
Food, feed and fertility are the foun-
dation of safe farming, according to
the United States department of agri-
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 livestock,
and feed the soil. When we have done
these three things, then raise such
acreage 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
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
produce. "By growing all cotton"
says the author, "and exchanging it
for a living you are simply swapping
a high-priced product produced by
your labor for a high-priced product
produced by the labor Of the other fell
low. When you follow safe farming,
however, you produce your4own food
and feed at cost and sell your cotton
for the other fellows dollars"
Safe farming is defined in the cir
eular as including these items:
(1) A home garden for every family
on the farm, from one-tenth to one
fourth acre, we'll 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 continual supply for the family
table as manydays in the year as pos
sible. To this should be added one
fourth of an acre of potatoes, either
Irish or sweet, or both, to be used as
food for the family.
(2) Enough corn on each farm to
last the family and the live stock for
one year, with a 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 win
ter and provide summer grazing for
livestock. 80
az Hay and forage crops to supply
the livestock 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 ex-
cess for sale. The average number Of
poultry per farm should be gradually
increased to at least so. There should
be eggs and poultry for the home table
with a sufficient excess for sale. This
livestock on the farm should be gradu-
ally increased so as to consume the
otherwise wasted products and make
productive the unproductive and I'M
tillable lands.
(6) Cotton for the main money crop
after the living has been amply pro-
vided for.
CD The sale Of surplus products OF
the garden, the orchard, the poultry,
the livestock, 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.