The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1920-03-13
TIMELY ADVICE TO
FARMERS OF STATE
DO Not Plow Up Good Pasture
to Plant CottOiiI Says r.
S. Wilson.

Farmers of Mississippi will read
with special interest statement
both timely and sound. prepared by
Director r. S. Wilson OF the extern
sion service containing some. valila-
BILE suggestions for immediate use.
Mr.. Wilson'S statement Is as follows:
The time is. approaching when
farmers must decide finally as to
what they are going to plant.
Indications are that in a portion
of our state farmers are going rath-
er heavily into cotton. The exten-
sion department has refrained from
any strenuous cotton reduction"
campaign, as it seemed to us that
the experience of farmers for the
past several years should have es-
tablished in their minds the wisdom
of diversifcation. In the hill SEC
tions Of Mississippi especially the In
iQuttous credit system has been prac-
ticaIly abolished, farmers as a rule
are out Of debt. and bank deposits
have doubled and trebled. This Is
no argument against Gotten as a
money crop, because 1t is, as a rule,
our best money crop. but it Is sim
ply because our, cotton money. has
gone into the bank rather. than to
other states to pay debts for supplies
at credit prices, and furthermore, we
had other money crops that brought
us cash at all times Of the year when
it was most needed and we were not
dependent upon one crop that was
usually dumped on the market main-
ly during period of from ninety to
a hundred and twenty days.
1t is not the function OF the extern
sion department to attempt to die
tate ia the people, but / would like
make timely suggestion: Grain
of all kinds is high. relatively about
as high as cotton, and owing to an
unusually unfavorable season last
year, there Is a shortage of grain in
the state. Present indications are
that 1t is going to be serious. Not
only will feeds on which to finish
this crop be extremely expensive,
but it may be difficult to secure at
any price next summer. Some spring
oats have been sown, but by no
means enough to meet our needs. /
would suggest, therefore, that farm-
ers plant a small area at least, to
some of the very early corns, such
as the early Yellow Dent, or the
Hickory King. IL this is done at
once, or as soon as the weather will
permit, 1t win reach a stage at which
it may be fed in July and will be
extremely useful in tiding us ever
the grain shortage.
Another thing is happening which
to our mind Is serious mistEs<c.
Some people are already, and a large
number Of others are contemplating
blowing up pasture lands and plant
ing to cotton. A good permanent
pasture cannot be made in a year,
but is the work of several years of
effort. What cotton will do in fu-
ture years, no one at present can
positively say. Neither can anyone
tell positively how long the present
depression in the price of livestock
may last. Then should we not stop
and think before sacrificing so read
lily the progress we have striven to
make and have made in recent years
toward balanced farming system
to take step that 1t will take US
years to retract? A farmer who had
made a remarkable financial success
once told me that when other people
were going out of a business was the
time he always went into it. There
is some philosophy in this statement
that 1t might profit some of us to
consider at this time.