The Elk Mountain pilot., 1917-11-29

cotton acreage would have resulted IN an eve"
more serious predcament for the cotton Phn'efs
during the summer season.
Another reason for the decline In productloh mas
been the strong pressure brought 10 pear upoi' %
the South to practice diversified farming. Ihis
has resulted In some states In a consluerapie oe-
crease in the cotton acreage in order that more
corn, wheat onts, hay and other food crops might
be grown though these conditions are more or
less local. The government is engaged In cam
paign to interest the South In feeding itself. ana
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 and other staple
farm crops to pay the expenses of operating the
farm and to enable the South to produce enough
foodstuffs to feed itself Thus, tenant farmer
who has 40 acres in cotton would provided he
practiced diversified farming successfully, make
from $4,000 to 5000 year, all from the sale of
his cotton. This would be net profit, 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
er who practices crop rotation well can double
his cotton production within two three years. 1t
has been demonstrated
This gives food for speculation as to the possi-
bIlity which would follow the general adoption
Of crop diversification 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
tnLS ylelO 10 tnfee DaleS an acre, according TO
farming experts. However. not all Of the South
ern cotton fields are soil impoverished and II
would be doing the better-class cotton planter
an Injustice to say that by proper farming he
could double triple his cotton crop. OF the
35OOO.OOO acres planted in cotton this year. a
large percentage of the acreage could be in
creased In fertility as to double the yield BY
1919 provided crop rotation followed out
along the most modern lines.
With better farming the South will thus be
able n lp ts * OO0 or mo do he
work Of from 100000 to 100000 acres under
the old plan. Any important reduction In acreage.
therefore, is not to be looked upon with alarm
for there is certain to be a consequent Increase
In production barring unforeseen weather calami-
ties To this increased production must be added
the millions of dollars added to the wealth Of the
South by the other farm products grown In In
creased quantities
The slogan, 1.-THE South Must Feed Itself" In
the outrrowth Of this campaign for crop rota-
tion as practiced in the North and West.
The realization of this dream would add hum
dreds Of millions of dollars to the wealth Of the
South alone, for almost all Of the states will be-
come producers instead of consumers. Despite
the enviable climate and the good soil possessed
by Alabama there are many counties which spend
one million dollars more each year in import
ing outside foodstuffs. With the practice of d.
versiied farming 1t will be possible for every
County In the state to export much and
other farm crops as 1t now Imports
Some observers have taken the view especialv
war has resulted In increased activity in the d.
versified farming campaign, that n serious blow
is intended at King Cotton. but such is not the
case. The whole idea Of the campaign is not to
uproot the chief Southern crops for the Northern
crops, but TO rotate such crops as have soil
en6ching values, so as to enable the Southern
soil to produce even greater cotton crops Be
cause of IT'S revolutionary character the DIVERSE
fled farming campaign has not made much prog
ress except in Alabama, Georgia and neighboring
states. which have been adding tens of millions
of dollars to the value of their farm products
each year in recent years.
When the war sent corn and wheat to sky
high prices along with cotton It proved much
easier to enlist the sympathes of the Southern
farmer, and many thousands of farmers are max.
Ing more money growing hgh-priced corn and
wheat than they did in growing cotton. This is
due chiefly TO the relief given the soil by crop
rotation, and such conditions will be evee more
common next season. when the soil rebuilding
process adopted by nature Is given time TO get
well underway. Impetus has alone been given
crop diversif1catiOn by the shortage of labor Tho
most of these crops require less labor than cot.
be tended more efy1cIentlv thar rott<->