Polk County news. [volume] (Benton, Tenn.) 191?-1983, 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
lions that formerly had never exported a carload
of cattle, hogs, or sheep are now extensive pro-
| ducers of mutton, beef, pork, wool, and dairy
| products. Families which formerly lived drear
| life of meager existence 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
land3 The war presented the opportunity for re-
formation along agricultural lines due to the
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 /, $50
county agents, located in the Is states from Tex
to Oklahoma and from Florida to Maryland,
have been steadily urging farmers to increase
crop productions 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
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 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 Is
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 on large scale. Despite the fact
that the record price of cotton has operated
0Crof net fhn nrit, nf
farmer backed up the food program. Southern
farmers and townsmen raised plenty of potatoes
as well as sorghum for srup 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
Of potatoes 6S per cent; cotton 80 per
cent; hay, II per cent; oats, s per cent; hogs 81
Der cent; sheep, 10 per cent and sweet potatoes.
per cent, over the yields Of 1917.
The South has been Il 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-
luction to the extent that Alabama produced
,293,0O0 tons of hay during the year 1918, as
ompared with 10000 tons in 1909. During the
erod from 1909 to 1918. Georgia increased hay
426 per cent North Carolina, 1873 per
emf; Florida, $50 per cent and South Carolina,
80 per cent According to recent crop estimates
he hypothetical value of the farm crops of Ala
anna, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi North Caro-.
ma. and South Carolina. amounted to SS39213-
10 In 1909 and So 1OG,39G0OO in 1917, an increase
f $50 per cent.
II is only logical that the production Of corn
nd hay increases In the Southern states, the
umbers Of hogs ana cattle raised and kept show
,rrespondlng gains. The razor.back hog has
ncn traditional of the South since the Civil war;
NJ of late years these native rustlerS have been
placed by wehnisled porlers of desirable con.
rmaon and breeding which more econom.
al IN the manufacture of pork under southern
nditons than are the graln.fcd hogs of the corn
IT I'm middle Western territory
According to recent estimates by the bureau Of