The courier-index., 1918-03-15


have not increased in price =
with cotton, shortage in supply .
and difficulty in getting them .
at all because of transportation
trouble overcomes the margin. 3
.
high this year, it merely has kept
pace with other commodities.
These are the words of DR.. Brad
ford C. Knapp, director for the south
of the work of the United States
Bureau of Agriculture, who spent
Monday in Memphis.
Dr. Knapp was in Memphis, en-
route from Shreveport, Ia, to Knox
vile, Tenn, where he speaks today
before the Appalachian Retail Mer-
chants Association.
With tremendous meeting Sunday
afternoon in Shreveport, he conclud-
ed a tour of a week in which he held
food meetings in Vicksburg, Miss,
and Ruston, Alexandria, Baton Rouge,
New Orleans and Lake Charles, La.
At the same time other speakers
under his direction have been holding
other meetings of the same sort
throughout the south. DR.. TAFT But
Ter of Memphis is a member of the
cor,ls. After speaking throughout
Arkansas the Memphian has been
sent to West Virginia, where he is
now working in the cause Of increas-
| ed food production.
While here yesterday DR.. Knapp
stirred about but little, continuing
himself largely to his room at the
Hotel Gayoso. in an effort to recuper-
ate from his strenuous labors of the
week.
LET us see what cotton would
buy in terms of food and feed before
the war and now" DR.. Knapp con-
tinued
| Then ii was worth IL cents on
the average, or $50 bale. You must
remember that the prosperity OF the
| south is due as much to the large
production of her own food and feed
in 1917 as it is to the advanced
price of cotton. If the south planted
all cotton in 1918 and exchanged it
for food she would be much poorer
rather than richer as the figures
show now. If cotton went down and
food went up, she would be bankrupt
without food production.
"Then the only safe plan is to
produce the food of the south on
the farms of the south. After max
ing ample provision for our own food
and feed we should produce such
an acreage in cotton as we can safe
ly cultivate and harvest. Cotton Is
improtant. but it should not be in
/ creased at the expense of food and
feed.
81 recommend to real southerners
who desire to do their whole duty
the following program. both from
patriotic and business standpoint:
First. home garden for every
farm family and every city family;
in this garden I should include an
| annie supply of Irish and sweet
potatoes and the farm gardens should
have either cane or sorghum for the
production of syrup.
Second, sustain the production OF
! corn.
Third. raise small grains.
Fourth, produce hay and forage
crops necessary amply to supply the
live stock on the farm for year and
leave surplus for the benefit or
the city.
Fifth. maintain and increase pro-
duction of meat, eggs and milk.
"Sixth. when the living has been
nrovided for, and food for selves and
feed for livestock is assured, grow
as much cotton as can be profitably
handled.
seventh. save all waste products
on the farm: economic on time,
labor and seed; make everything
count"
Only the basest selfishness will In
duce southern planters to commit
themselves to profiteering policy
O, raising cotton to the neglect OF
food DR. Knapp averred. Such sell
fishness will kick backward, TOT
when the cotton has been grown they
will find il will not buy what they
think it will buy, he said.
Farmers up in the corn and wheat
country are as short of labor as are
the southern planters, he explained,
and If southerners neglect their food
production obligations these lowans,
| Kansans and Minnesotans will have
to spend more hours in the field and
their backs will have to bend lot
lower II the United States is to
| grow the food which 1t must grow.