Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-03-26
OUR rAHar POLICY IN 1918

OUR FARM POLICY IN 1918
We are. asked TO produce more food
than ever in 1918. This is a national
requirement. in the interest of self
preservation. 1t is the duty as Wei
as the privilege of every citizen to be
concerned, therefore. with all measures
relating to food production. How shall
we go about IL to accomplish the de-
sired end, is now the ali-important qurs-
ton Two distinct plans of action are
open TO US. One is to increase the acre
age in crops very materially with the
expectation % producing the averages
which have hitherto been obtained. The
other is to increase the yield per acre
on the same area which was devoted to
cultivated crops in 1917. Every one
knows that the labor situation now con-
stitutes one of our most difficult PROB
lens. How best. therefore, can we raise
the crops expected OF US in view Of
this situation. To the mind of the
writer il is very plain that the best way
to accomplish this end is through the
more thorough preparation of the SOIL
the exercise OF greater care in the Sc
lection OF the seed, the more liberal and
wise fertilization of the land, and more
thorough and constant cultivation after
the crop has been planted. 1t is in
finitely easier in my judgment to in
crease the yield per acre with the sup
ply of labor and horse power avail
able than to undertake the cultivation
of the additional areas of land which
/ would be necessary to enable us to pro-
duce the quantities of food necessary
20 adequately sustain our own people.
! In 1917 the cultivated crops in Geor-
/ gia occupied 13,202,767 acres OF land.
| II we do not increase the yield over the
/ average attained in 1917. il will be
/ necessary for US to cultivate 1881, Gas
! acres of land in 1918. This represents
an increase of 4,T34,7S2 acres. Admit
/ ting that one man can handle forty
acres of land. which every one knows TO
be impossible if he expects to Guilt
vate IL iutensively, We would require
$4,000 more mules that we now possess,
and an equal number of laborers. APP
parently the number of our work ami
mails is above the normal of other years,
and il is now too late to increase the
/ number materially even IL the animals
were available and they could be eff
fectively utilized for production imme-
diately. 1t is certain that we will not
be able to increase the labor supply
Therefore. to the writer IL seems ut
terly impracticable to propose an in
creased acreage over that cultivated in
1917. On the other hand, by exerting
ourselves to the limit. and by utiIiz-
Ing our horse and man labor to IN,
best advantage, there is no reason why
we should not be able - maintain the
1917 acreage. If in addition to
we study and practice more thorough
soil preparation and do all those other
things which have been suggest ted above.
we can, unless the season is extremely
unfavorable, increase the yield of our
staple crops by several bushels per
acre. In doing this we will obtain ex-
actly the same result as If we increls-
ed the acreage and allowed the yields
Of previous years to stand
II therefore seems necessary that We
set up new standard of production.
II is Infinitely easier to concentrate
our efforts on a given acreage and OBJ
tain better results therefrom under ex-
listing conditions than to attempt to in
crease the acreage without any idea of
raising the standard of production per
acre. Viewing the situation from every
angle, il seems clear to the writer tina
We must conserve and not dissipate our
energies on an increased acreage i'm
1918; also that we must practice the
most skilful and intensive form of ag-
riculture of which we are capable =
we are 10 measure up to the REQUIRE
ments which the government has placed
upon US and which il is the earnest de-
sire OF every patriotic citizen to attain
IN order that he may feel that he is do
ing his full duty by his country and the
boys who are over there fighting for ne.
As to the possibilities of increasing
Yields on the same acreage, let us con-
sider the averages attained in some
previous years In the matter of corn.
Tor instance, we produced sixteen bush
els per acre in 1917 We are expected
10 raise 100, 100000 bushels in 1918. We
increased the yield 100000 bushels IN
1917 over the previous year There rs
no reason why we should not be able
o raise the crop Of corn expected of us
To do this on the acreage of 1917 we
must produce 1928 bushels per acre in
stead of sixteen. This is an increase
OF SIX bushels per acre. WHAT must
we 90 70 obtain such an increase. Sim
ply test the seed for one thing and see
that We obtain a perfect stand. In
many corn fields the stand is represent
cd by so per cent rather than 100. The
vacant places. If filled, would result m
increasing the yield by six bushels ner
acre Planting the corn with greater
care, selecting variety adapted to 10.
cal conditions, fertilizing it more lib
orally and extending the period of cul
lVauon VIII all be contributing factors
| IN increasing the yield. 1t will NOT he .
difficult matter through the a,,,rIo,,
ment of these agencies and the sar,a
amount Of labor and energy in the col.
ar as was used last year TO increase the
yield OF corn. OF course, we NAV have
an extraordinarily bad season. ana :.
mat event all our plans would miscarr,-
out there is no reason to anticiLate ana
we VIII not have at least an avs.ra %
season and in that event we can bv
taking forethOught raise the ouantity,
OF corn needed on the acreage of 1917
RMS should be our policy with refer
ence TO other crops. OF course NO
should plant velvet beans IN every aero
OF corn. There is TO reason WIN, We
should not Increase the acreage Some
what OF both sweet and Irish potatoes
ara probably peanuts as well. because
the boil weevil has spread so,nay,b.t
and there are probably a number of
counties now where peanuts can he
grown u greater advantage than tcottop
and viii prove equally remuneratIve
Ihey constitute one OF our most vain
able food crops by reason of the ire
mendous amount of oil they Weld and
the valuable meal they provide for the
nutrition of human beings and live
stock
We should emphasize the matter of
hay production, but there is no reason
for increasing the acreage. Last wear
we planted $4,000 acres to hay crops
and only gathered 500 900 tons there
from. There is no reason why we
ShOuld not nrOduce a nm Qua =, k.re =