Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1919-02-27

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
IONS that formerly had never exported carload
OF cattle, hogs, or sheep are now extensive pro-
ducers of mutton, beef, pork, wool, and dairy
products. Families which formerly lived a drear
NE OF meager existence are now not only enjoy.
ing plenty Of the staples but also many Of the
luxuries of country life.
How was that revolution effected? How was a
mirage transformed into an actually in the South
iand! 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 reason 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
DDS; 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, one-negro cotton farming corporation
Inc 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 preya.
lent and traditional practice of buying instead of
mept of agriculture operated under severe hand
cap when 1t 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 TX
states how to raise and produce vegetables, truck
crops held crops and meat products, but have
been successful in getting the farmers to raise
such products on a large scale. Despite the fact
that the record price of cotton has operated
against the popularity of other crops, the average
farmer backed up the food program Southern
FARMERS and toWnsmen raised plenty of potatoes
as well as sorghum for sirup, in their home gar.
dens. The farmers increased their production of
small grains, corn. hay, peanuts velvet beans
soy beans, cowpeas, as well meat, milk and
eggs.
For example, during 1918 Alabama increased IT'S
production of potatoes 68 per cent; cotton 80 per
cent; hay, y per cent; oats, s per cent; hogs 81
per cent; sheep 10 per cent and sweet potatoes
per cent, over 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
1898 900 tons of hay during the wear 1919 MS
compared with 10000 tons in 1909. During The
period from 1909 to 1913, Georgia increased hay
production 42a 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-.
una, and South Carolina, amounted to Sss9213.-
600 in 1909 and So 900 in 1917 an increase
of $50 per cent
It IS only logical that as the production of corn
and hay Increases In the Southern states the
numbers OF hogs and cattle raised and kept show
corresponding gains The razor-back hog has
been traditional of the South since the Civil war,
but of late years these native rustlers have been
replaced by well-fnished porkers of Desirable cop
formation and breeding which are more econom.
zeal 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
49, - - : -