The Covington leader. (Covington, Tenn.) 18??-current, 1921-04-07
WHERE WILL YOU STAND NEXT
FALL?

IS confronting our people TO-DAY. We
have talked to farmers, bankers and
business men from all parts Of the
county and from other sections Of
the country and the eoneensus Of
opinion is that there will be no inn
provement over last fall Unless we
fill the county full Of food and feed
crops.
There is going to be a material
reduction Of the cotton acreage in
Upton county, it is true, but this is
not enough to bring us out on the
right side Of the ledger.
The land on which we have been
accustomed to plant cotton must
be planted to other crops. If this
land is allowed to lie idle, the re-
duction IF The cotton acreage has
accomplished little.
Not alAe h he reduction Of the
cotton acreage lies the hope Of the
South, but in a system of diversi-
fled farming. The awakening to the
fact that a one-crop system is un
profitable is not confined to the
South. Everywhere farmers are
looking to more diversified and in
tensive methods for relief. The corn
and tobacco sections, and the grain
sections Of the West are finding that
the production Of one crop from year
to year is Improbable and their
condition everywhere at the present
time is much the same.
Those who have studied the con-
dition in which we find ourselves at
this planting time offer this adj
vice: "Raise a garden full and over
flowing with vegetables; raise as
many chickens as possible, and raise
them quickly; plant early corn for
roasting ears; put in patch of
sweet and Irish potatoes, and black
eyed peas; also plant patch Of cane
for syrup; plant an abundance Of
corn, cowpeas, hay crops, and pro
vide good pastures for livestock. /"
This summed up simply means to
live at home as nearly as possible
this year and prepare yourself to
live entirely at home next year-pro-
vide food and feed for every man and
every head Of livestock on the farm.
This does not mean that the farm
should supply the food used by the
landowner and his family and the
feed consumed by his stock, but it
means that every tenant family and
every head Of stock on the farm
should be supported on the farm.
This will mean that in many cases
the landowner will have to advise
with and help the tenant to have
garden, potato and turnip patches
and perhaps, some hogs and a COW.
This will enable the tenant to pSs
next year, if he can not pay this
year
1t is a better system Of farming
that we need.
In those sections of Upton county
and with those individuals in all
sections Of the county where the
farms are made practically self
supporting there is little complaint
at the present time, and will be very
little next fall, no matter what the
price of cotton or general conditions
may be. This is not confined en-
tirely to men who have small farms
and live on them. We have few
men who work large numbers Of
tenants and who, for several years
past, have planned with their ten
ants to have meat, sorghum, gar
dens, corn, hay and other food and
feed crops These men are having
little trouble today.
IF there ever was year to- go
into diversified farming, this is the
year 1t will cost more than 10
cents to produce cotton this year and
we can not expect more unless there
is great reduction in the acreage
over the entire cotton belt. While
cotton is at this price it is a SPLEEN
did opportunity to restore the fer
tility Of our soil, which has been
so impoverished by the constant cul-
tivation Of cotton
There are many ways of practicing
diversified farming. It is up to
the farmer to pick the crops that
are best suited to his farm and that
he can handle most advantageously.
The hope of the South lies in the
ability of the individual farmer to
think straight in this time Of re-
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A oauc,,s af uouea nan,oo,.ate x,yac