Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-09-05

| itself. We enhance the feeding value
| of the crop very materially and we
certainly do not deplete the fertility
of the soil by growing this valuable
| legume in association with corn. In
| the higher or more elevated sections
to which velvet beans are not adapt
ed, the CoWpea furnishes an admira-
BILE substitute.
The second crop mentioned is cot
ton, which is our chief money crop
and will continue to be so. 1t is
also a food producing crop of large
proportions, because cotton seed
yields one of our most valuable con-
contracts and an oil extensively used
in our arts and Industries, and par
ticularly for human food.
The small grain crops are used as
soil cover crops to provide necessary
plus for live stock. They can be
taken off the land so that cowpeas
may be grown thereon for hay, and
if the coWpeaS cannot be .paStured
down satisfa ctorily and there is an
insufficient volume of oats matured
to maintain the fertility of the land
this crop can be turned under for the
purpose of increasing the supply OF
organic matter in the soil. We do
not favor this practice ordinarily, be-
cause if there is q sufficient number
of head of live stock kept ON the
|
feeding this hay. and the resulting
manure made to supply the necessary
organic matter needed for the main
tenance of the soil in a friahle con-
dition. 1t appears at once that some
such policy as this would tend, there
fore, to remedy the principal defects
from which Piedmont soils suffer 1t
would also balance up the agriculture
of the district in question, and GER
tainly it would add to the prosper
l. lN,N = l,
would be producing the food needed
for the family. the food needed for
considerable number of live stock,
and still have their principal money
crop intact. When this arrangement
comes into vogue there will be a
greater degree Of prosperity than is
now evidenced, the question of all
cotton farming will then solve itself,
and the independence of the south
ern farmer about which we write and
talk so much will be assured.
The very fact that this. system OF
cropping is followed will tend tC
build up the soils in question, be-
in every third year rotation. More
over, the small grain crops keep the
land covered in the winter and pre-
vent washing and erosion, The liv-
ing plants take up such organic ma
terials as become converted into sol
less plant food lost through the
drainage waters than would other
wi } be true. Through the use OF
the yard manures, which the animals
feed on these surplus crops Will pro-
vide, the organic matter IS lncre,,aeu
from year to year and this helps to
keep the soil friable and responsive
in the matter of large crop yields.
This plan calls for devOting a
third of the cultivated land on the
farm to one crop year. There is
done. There is nothing to be gained
by all-cotton farming when one has
to go out and buy food for both man
and beast By the time this is done
the greater part of the funds OBJ
have been dissipated, the land will
be poor, and it will take more fer
tilizer to produce small crop each
succeeding year, until finally the
landowner has an abandoned or
worthless plantation on his hands
UP a losing fight and retires to, the
town or city. His example has been
most unfortunate, as it has led hun
dreds of other people to conclude
that there was no opportunity for
them in the open country. 1t is use
less for US to say that we have
farmed and handled our lands intel
ligently. The washed and eroded
areas throughout the section in ques-
ton show that this is not true. We
have been farming in a sort of me-
chanical way and not as nature OPP
crates We might as well under
stand now that after all nature is
the greatest teacher and that we will
make no intake in following her.
Nature is always right. though man
is frequently wrong. Our trouble
lies in our inability to interpret ma
ture correctly.
There is no more admirable farming
area in the whole United States than
the Piedmont section. 1t is blessed
with a wonderfully fine climate. The
drainage is excellent. The soils are
naturally of fine fertility. They re-
spond wonderfully well to good man.
agement Almost every c. worth
attention can be cultivated in this
great area. 1t is section designed
to become famous in the annals of
our country as illustrative of what
the development of a well-balanced
type of agriculture will do for COM
munity, and to bring this great de-
sideratum about all we have to do
is to pillow our land deenlv at the
proper season, subsoil it intelligent
~. put in 81 crop rotation system
and so devotion a permanent type OF
agriculture. Nature has done her
part and it now remains for thosa
Of us who for dly subscribe to the
title Of cords o. c~nn+ion" to do
what remains to be done.
SUBSTITUTE GRASSES FOR BIER