The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-02-07

WADE's LETTER

We meet people every day who are spreading the news that Alabama farm CTS are planning a big increase in their cotton acreage. As a general rule these news spreaders are not farmers, and I am inclined to think that the agita- tion is considerably overdrawn by spell binders. I have heard very few farmers express themselves on the subject. and for that reason am inclined to discount such reports Alabama farmers have too much sense and patriotism to go heavily into a proposition which they know is financially treacherous and not to the best interest of their coun- try while it's national strength is chal- lenged and being tested. They are too well satisfied with the money which they received for corn, beans, peas, po- tatoes, hay, peanuts. cattle and hogs last year to run the boil weevil and weather risk on a large cotton acreage this year. Of course they want and should have some cotton. Middle and south Alabama farmers, to be reason able, should plant about one-fourth of their crops to cotton, which would be five or six acres to the blow. If this is not enough cash crop, then plant as many acres in peanuts, or something else equivalent, other than cotton. They should plant half of their crops to corn. beans, peas and hay. They should give a great deal of their attention to pas lures, hogs. and cattle, and some time to fruit and vegetables. crop sched- u1e of this kind would be based on common sense and safety. Should Con> gross pass a law which had for its pur- pose the regulation of production. then the above crop schedule would be safely within the government requirement..
 In north Alabama, the Tennessee val ley and a few other small localities in various parts of the state, where heavy clay soils abound, where peanuts, beans and potatoes do not thrive so well and where boil weevil infestation is light and not liable to damage, half of the crops may be planted to cotton with perfect propriety. Under war conditions, when the world is clamoring for food at high prices, the fate of this nation and the allied nations depending OH this country for food; when it is plain to us that the full stomachs will win this war and the empty stomach will be the loser; when labor is scarcer than ever before, and the danger of wet weather and boil weevil disaster turks from behind, it is penny wise and pound foolish for a man to increase his cot ton acreage, unless it is case of hav- ing very little or none last year, Such cases do exist and in such events farm CTS will be acting perfectly wise and proper to plant few acres in cotton and strive to make the very best pos sible yield per acre by better prepara tion, heavier fertilization and frequent intensive cultivation, thus increasing the yield per acre and the profits rather than expanding the acreage to the eX- tent of low ering the profits and con- suning time and space that should be devoted to food and feed which is so essential to yours and the nations in terest during crisis such as you have never seen and will never see again. You are asked to lay aside your per sonal preference and do your part, and I think you will J. A. WADE,
 Commissioner of Agriculture and 1n-
 dustries.