Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-04-16
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~ - e. E,DDCATIoN !
AND SUCCESSFUL FARMING L.
-a@M@ 1rAHpREWM SoOZE u
AND SUCCESSFUL FARMING

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, supply For the period 1s1o-1s14 the
average yearly worlds production
was 25,767.5o0 bales, the United
states producing 14,259,200 bales, or
Thus it is seen that the United
States is fast losing her monopoly
on cotton and we can only hope to
compete with foreign countries on
and China are two of the chief pro-
ducers. In the past they have eX-
ported very little cotton and the
quality of the Asiatic cotton was so
poor they did not enter into compe-
tition with American cotton on the
European markets.
Introduction of improved varieties
is working wonders with the cotton
produced by these countries, how
ever. Indian production rose from
1000. 600 bales in 1892 to 4,75o,00O
in 1914.
Egvpt produced 100000 bales in
1892 and 1900 900 in 1914. Egyptian
cotton has a very high grade staple,
equaled only by Sea Island and Meade
produced in the southern states and
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS varletles grown
fornia. South America and, South
Africa are also producing much more
cotton than a few years ago.
According to the. latest estimates
the 1920 crop Of the United states
will amount to 1887, 900 bales, to
s'255.21s of American cotton to be
used from July /. 1920, to June 80
1921.
According to the best estimates not
more than 100000 bales will oe
used and fairly large ne, earr XSmeri-
can mills are expected to consume
around six million bales. the eA-
ports for the last fiscal year were
6,351,523 bales, as compared W WIN "a
YY s14. '0r the -'''N'
c.ernanv consumed 1,S19,256 bales
YEARLY for the period 191O-l914' Wnlle
only 454,198 bales were exported ~
that country the past fiscal year AZ
cording to Investigations or me po
use more than 100000 bales next year
even with normal credit. Until the
rate Of exchange goes down ana d
more normal credit Is obtained 10.
the central European countries tnele
seems to be little hope OF increasing
exports
The acreage. total yield, yield per
,ora and ner cent of land in cotton
in Georgia will perhaps be OF inter- inter-
est. The following figures, TAKEN
from the estimates Of the Onlleu
States Department Of Agrlculture,
show something of our past history
III piou Average Yearly
Years Acreage
1900-1904 5'9o2'Soo
19O5-1909 4,48a,aUo
1910-1914 o,1S6'ooooo
1915-1919 o'1ou'Ioo
From these figures it is seen that
the increase in acreage from the i've
YEAR period, 1900-1904, to the hve-
year neriod. 1915-1919. is 29.7 per
cent. The increase in production was
3O.7 per cent, indicating sllgnt IN
crease in yield per acre. Ihls III
crease is largely due. to the enormous
increase in the use Of commercial fer
tiliZers. 4
esi . - Yield per Acre
vear Obs. Lint)
1870-1S79 loa
1Seo192Q 146
189O-1899 l56
1900-1909 Ieu
1910-1919 Isl
From this table we note that therS
has been steady increase III yielu
ner acre, but that the average Is eX-
tremely low and under present con-
ditions no profit can be expected IN
less the yields are Increased. Inc
dropping off of yield per acre since
1915 is due largely to the boil weeVll'
1t has been demonstrated noWeVel'
that good yields can be obtained IN
der weevil conditions, but not by the
practices prevailing in the past.
The following is a table giving the
percentage of land in crops that is
in cotton in Georgia. .o
q ~
11ss999-11s s s4 .s 1s ssa 1872 4 -
1ss7-1ssf Is 4a.s is4a-1s1s 50
The above figures , taken s+ from Inc fne
estimate Of the United states re Re+
there has been steady increase In
the per cent Of land devoted to cot
ton. with so per cent Of land In cot
ton II Is impossible to practice ro-
tatton in which cotton will not FOL
low cotton. to provide an equal ~ . DIS
enough other crops for home con-
sumption.
Recent surveys made by the Office
of Farm Management show that IN
der conditions prevailing from l9lO-
1914 it was possible to secure large
per cent of the land in cotton, but
that in another section thes thirty
most profitable farms had an aver
age of only 27 per cent OF the lana
in cotton, with the rest devoted to
corn, small grains and other crops,
ing live stock. The advent of the boil
weevil has started a change In sec
lions devoting a high per cent of the
land to cotton, in the direction OF the
system with smaller acreage In cot
ton and more diversified system of
farming with some live stock to utll-
ize the feedstuffs grown.
The foregoing discussion is given
in the endeavor to present something
of the real cotton situation. No other
country in the world enjoys the nat
ural advantages of soil and climate
duction than is found in the south,
but this is in a measure offset by
cheap labor conditions in other coun-
tries. The farmer of the south knows
cotton and all the necessary machin-
cry for handling the crop. The
world needs cotton, and when normal
financial conditions are restored,
there is no reason why cotton can not
be produced at profit. but in order
to grow cotton at profit the pro-
duction of home supplies and an in
crease in average yield per acre,
are essential
1t is possible that cotton will again
reach high prices, but it is the con-
sensus Of opinion of those who have
studied the situation that prepara-
tons should be made to produce
crop that will be relatively low in
price for 1921.
The cost per pound of lint cotton
can be materially reduced by careful
attention to the following factors:
1. Plant cotton only on land that
has prospect of making one-half
bale or more per acre.