The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1917-02-03
FOOD, FEED, FERTILITY
FARMING FOUNDATION

WASHINGTON, Feb Food,
feed. and fertility are the founda-
ton of safe farming. according to
the United States Department of Ag-
riculture. A circular sent to farm
ers bankers. and business men in
cotton territory by the chief of the
Office of Extension Work in the
south says: Let us feed the peo~
pie, feed the live stock, 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 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 produce. BY growing
all cotton says the author, and
exchanging 1t for living you are
simply swapping a high-priced pre-
duct produced 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
eular as including these items:
I'd a home garden for every
family on the farm, from one-tenth
to one-fourth acre. well located,
we'll titled, and tended as carefully
as any other crop on the farm, plant
ed in rotation TO time the vegetable
crops SO as 10 have continual sup
ply for the family table as many days
in the year as possible. 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
% Enough corn on each farm
to last the family and the live stock
for one year, with little excess for
safety.
(S) 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 graz
ing for live stock.
"a Hay ana forage crops to
supply the live stock on the farm for
one year, with 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 be-
cause of the rapidity with which
these can be produced. Every fami-
ly should have at least two cows,
ST iildl one cdu pS III MIN Gil thS
time. A sufficient number of brood
scws 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 grad
ually increased to at least fifty.
There should be eggs and poultry
for the home table. with a sufficient
excess for sale. The live stock on
the farm should be gradually in
creased SO as to consume the other
wise wasted products and make pro
ductive and untillable lands.
CO.. Cotton for the main money
crop after the living has been amply
provided for.
CD The sale of the surplus
products of the garden, the orchard,
the poultry, the live stock. and the
feed crops to cover the necessary
running expenses of the farm, leav-
ing the cotton as the real cash
crop.
The present prices OF cotton, says
the circular. should not be permit
ted to tempt any farmer 10 depart
from this program. Ii is the only
safe plan TO follow, no matter what
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