The Tupelo journal., 1918-01-18
Cooperative Extension Work
N Agriculture and Home
Economics.

TO Farmers, Bankers and Business
Men in Cotton Territory:
The first day of January is a good
time to take stock and make plans
for the next year. 1918 is not only
the most important but the most crit
ical year in the history Of agriculture
in the Southern States. It is neces-
sary that the plan adopted should
meet the approval Of all patriotic
and women, that it should sus-
tain u agriculture, sustain our peo-
pie and sustain our Nation. It must
be q possible, a practical and a patri-
otto program.
During the year 1917 the farmers
of the South did a wonderful piece
of work. In the face of an increas-
ing price for cotton they responded
to the call of the President of the
United States and increased their
production of food and feed crops
and also their production of live
stock. In some of the states the in
crease in corn production ran more
than SO per cent and the increase in
the fifteen Southern states was 13 per
cent in spite of the great decrease in
Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana, due
to excessive drouth. The increases
in velvet beans, peanuts, soy beans,
hay, forage crops, gardens, sugar,
syrup, ETC., have been phenomenal,
but not more than our people needed.
For the first year in recent history of
the South the Bureau of Markets has
been able to report that the local de-
mands for corn have been met by the
local supply in many sections. The
South has been almost a national as
set and not a liability as to food. An
other year let US have no liabilities.
We must prove u worth.
On January 5, 1917, I endeavored
to show the farmers of the South that
cotton was not high at 20 cents a
pound. This year cotton is higher,
but food products have kept pace
with cotton.
Under the present circumstances
the needs Of the Nation are best met
by pursuing a safe farming program
improving each year on what we have
done heretofore. BY doing so we
place the least possible burden upon
the transportation facilities of the
country, we keep our cotton as a real
cash crop, and we support u peo-
pie and our growing livestock indus
try by producing high-priced food
and feed products and marketing
them to ourselves at the cost of pro-
duction. A taste of prosperity during
the past year, due to a better balanc-
ed husbandry as well as high prices,
should encourage US to continue the
grea~,oec farming program cf food,
feed and cotton.
Let me go over the items of a
safe farming program, celebrating
them in the light of present condi-
tons:
l.. A home garden for every fam
lily on the farm. Let me add to that
backyard garden for every town
family. Feed the people with fresh
vegetables from an all season garden
many days in the year as possible.
Grow the home supplies of sweet po-
tatoes and Irish potatoes. Continue
the sorghum and sugar cane for the
syrup supply.
Beware, however, of going into the
production of perishable products on
extensive scale without knowing
that there is a market for them, a sys-,
tenn of marketing already established,
and transportation facilities to get
them to the market. This applies to
the undeveloped trucking cas- All
well established trucking areas where
farmers have had experience in the
business will continue their opera
with cautious regard to the
needs Of their established markets.
2. We must sustain the produc-
ton of corn. There is grave danger
this year of a reduced production of
corn. This would be unwise. Many
states in the South have gone into
livestock extensively. It would be a
disaster for us to have livestock
the corn to feed it next year.
If you have gone into the livestock
industry remember that you must
maintain the corn production. 1t isl
your only defense. There is NJ pro-
1T in livestock unless the farmer pro-
luces his own feed.
8. The small grains as supplement
10 the corr and for food and feed
taken care of by YOUR fall