The Benson signal., 1919-03-01

in weeds and filth are now productive of profit
able crops of corn wheat oats, hay cotton, tobac-
co, potatoes, vegetables, and truck crops Sec
tions that formerly had never exported carload
of cattle, hogs or sheep extensive pro-
ducers of mutton, beef, pork, wool, and dairy
products. Families which formerly lived drear
life of meager existence are now not only enjoy
ing plenty Of the staples but also many of the
luXurieS of country life.
How that revolution effected? How was a
mirage transformed into actuality in the South
land? The war presented the opportunity for re-
| formation along agricultural lines due to the un-
limited demand on the American food store
houses. The second is because the United
States department Of agriculture and the state
agricultural colleges through the medium Of 1889
county agents, located in the Is states from Tex
as to Oklahoma and from Florida to Maryland,
have been steadily urging farmers to increase
| crop production; to practice better farming meth
OdS; to maintain more live stock; and to produce
in the South the majority Of what food the South
annually consumes, utilizing cotton as the leading
surplus cash crop.
Heretofore the South has been the Eden of the
one-mule, onenegro cotton farming corporation.
The negro farmers have raised cotton largely to
the exclusion of all other money crops. Then
they have "about faced" and converted their cot
ton money into imported beans, bacon, and bread
at the local supply stores. In view Of this preva.
lent and traditional practice Of buying instead Of
raising the bulk of food, the United States depart
ment Of agriculture operated under severe handi-
cap when it began food work south of the Mason
and Dixon line
Great credit is given to the county agents, who
have not only shown Southern farmers in II
states how to raise and produce vegetables truck
crops field crops and meat products, but have
been successful in getting the farmers to raise
such products a large scale. Despite the fact
that the record price of cotton has operated
+ho
farmer backed up the food program. Southern
farmers and townsmen raised plenty Of potatoes
we'll sorghum for sirup in their home gar
dens. The farmers increased their production of
small grains, corn, hay peanuts velvet beans
soy beans, cOwpeas, well as meat milk and
eggs.
For example, during 1918 Alabama increased its
production of potatoes 68 per cent; cotton 80 per
cent; hay, II per cent; oats, per cent hogs, q
per cent sheep 10 per cent; and sweet potatoes
per cent, the yields of 1917.
The South has been heavy buyer Of hay, the
majority of her yearly forage coming from the
Western states. The services Of the Southern
county agents have increased the local hay pro-
duction to the extent that Alabama produced
900 tons of hay during the year 1913, as
compared with 10000 tons in 1909. During the
period from 1909 to 1918, Georgia increased hay
production 426 per cent; North Carolina 1873 per
cent; Florida, 1852 per cent; and South Carolina
253 per cent. According to recent crop estimates
the hypothetical value of the farm crops of Ala
bama, Florida. Georgia. Mississippi. North Caro-
lima, and South Carolina, amounted to $3.50, ,213-
900 in 1909 and So 106 900 in 1917 an increase
Of $50 per cent
1t is only logical that the production of
and hay increases in the Southern states, the
numbers of hogs and cattle raised and kept show
corresponding gains The raZorback hog has
been traditional of the South since the Civil war,
but of late years these native rusters have been
replaced by we-finished porkers of desirable con-
formation and breeding which are more econom-
lcal in the manufacture of pork under Southern
conditions than are the granted hogs of the corn
belt in middle Western territory.
According to recent estimates by the bureau of