Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-07-06

is now a world scarcity of such pro-
portions as to threaten the continued
prosperity of many essential lines OF
industry. Again we see evidences OF
interpretation. Thus, a vicious
circle is completed which ultimate
ly spells disaster to the welfare OF
mankind and to the progress of civil
iZation. In Georgia, as. in other parts
of the world. we need to increase the
aggregate of our food crops. Up to
1920 we had made commendable
progress in diversification. Sixty per
cent of the products of our farms
might fairly be regarded as repre-
senting diversified foodStuff essential
to the maintenance of men and AMI
mails, and 40 per cent cotton. This
year conditions seem to be reversed
and particular effort is being made
ito encourage the growing of cotton
under the impression that it will
bring prosperity to the state on ac-
count of the high price which it is
expected the staple will bring next
fall. Fifty or even rs cents a pound
for cotton will not do so much good,
however, should hay bring $50 a ton
and corn So or upward a bushel. II
we were raising all the hay and all
the grain needed in addition to the
effort we are making to grow cot
ton, all might be well, but the
lowing opens up no road to perma-
nent prosperity.
Live at home and let cotton BE-
a surplus money crop" wa1 never "a
more irspnrtant or urgent slogan
than it is today. To meet the exigen-
cies Of the present situation, what
type of food dc we need to produce
in largest amount? Undoubtedly,
corn is the answer. OF course, we
c1, nh CT at,
wheat, oats, rye, hay, sweet and
Irish potatoes, peanuts and many
other legumes, but, after all, corn
is our most essential crop, not ex-
cepting cotton. The boil weevil last
year ate up $40,000.000 worth of COZ
ton. With the increased price ana
the extension of the area infested,
he may do greater amount of dam
age this year. The figures could east
ly reach $60,000,00O. It is sincerely
to be hoped they will not, though I
regret to say that present conditions
a loss, or tax if you please, on our
farm operations which we cannot
hope to sustain for any length OF
time. We must replace this drain
upon our Golfers. How can we accom-
plish this to the best advantage Is,
therefore, as urgent a question as
ever confronted the agriculture or
through emphasizing our animal in
dustries. They constitute the chief
asset we possess for offsetting the
damage by the boil weevil
What type of animal industry
should we emphasize? All of them,
but particularly swine production. In
a period of about five years we in
gia by nearly one million head. We
raised our position in the production
of hogs from sixteenth to sew
enteenth place. We can forge
ahead and become the greatest hog
state in the union. The
requires less capital to establish a
hog ranch than to engage in any
other type of farming. Throughout
a great part of the state we can
furnish hogs on grazing crops. Some
of these, however, make a soft pork
and we must find means of hardening
these animals off before they are
exhaustive tests were conducted by
the State College of Agriculture in
cooperation with Swift & Co., at
Moultrie, Ga These tests showed
that the cheapest and
best grain for the hardening off of
hogs was corn. Corn proves more
desirable and economical when COM
bined with tankage or with a proper
com bination of peanut meal or pea
nut meal and sweet potatoes. We
can grow unlimited amounts of pea
nuts and sweet potatoes in Georgia.
There are no other crops better
adapted to our soil and climatic con-
but we must have the sup
plemented corn to feed with them in
order to produce the type of pork
that will command the highest price
on the market and make hog raising
,ur most desirable and profitable form
Of animal industry. Can we grow
this corn? We can undoubtedly in
crease our production very materially
through the use of better types of
seed better preparation of the land