Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1920-03-25
SOME MATTERS OF INTEREST
To THE FARMERS

Farmers Of Mississippi viii read
with special interest statement
both timely and sound, prepared by
Director r. S. Wilson of the extern
sion service containing some valu-
able suggestions for immediate use.
Mr.. Wilson's statemet is as follows:
The time is approaching when
farmers must decide finally as to
what they are going to plant.
Indications are that in q portion
of our state farmers are going rath-
err heavily into cotton. The extern
sion department has refrained from
|anv strenuous cotton reduction"
campaign as it seemed to us that the
experience of farmers for the past
several years should have establish
cd in their minds the wisdom of di-
versification. nsthe hill sections of
Mississippi especially the ubiquitous
credit system has been practically
abolished. farmers as rule are out
of debt. and bank deposits have
doubled and trebled. This is no argu-
ment against cotton as a money
crop. because it is, as rule, our
best money crop; but it is simply be-
cause our cotton money has gone in
to 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 time of the year when
It was most needed and we were not
dependent upon one crop that was
usually dumped upon the market
mainly during a period of from nine
ty to a hundred and twenty days.
It is not the function of the extern
sion department to attempt to dictate
to the people, but / would like to
make a timely suggestion: Grain of
all kinds is high, relatively about as
high as cotton, and owing to an UNI
usually unfavorable season last year
there is a shortage of grain in the
state. Present indications are that
it 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 small area, at least, to
some of the very early corns, such as
the early Yellow Dent, or the Hick-
ory King. If this is done at once, or
as soon as the weather will permit,
it will reach a stage at which it may
be fed in July and will be extremely
useful in tiding us over the orain
shortage.
Another thing is happening which
to our mind is a serious mistake.
Some people are already, and large
number of others are contemplating
blowing up pasture lands and plant
ing to cotton. A good permanent
pasture cannot be made in year,
but it is the work of several years
of effort. What cotton will do in flu
ture years, no one st present can
positively say. Nei1her 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 a balanced farming system
to take a step that it will take us
years to retrace? A farmer who
had made a remarkable financial sue
cess once told me that when other
people were going out of business
was the time he always went into
| it. There is some philosophy in this
! statement chat it might profit some
of us to consider at this time. -