Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-03-26
mo QUICK REDUCTION
IN COTTON ACREAGE
ADVISES HARPER

Georgia farmers are now face to
| face with a condition that demands
an immediate decision. is the opin-
| ion Of Director J. n. Harper of the
Southern Soil Improvement commit
| tee. He states that many landown-
| ers are in doubt as to what crops to
plant, whether or not they shall
plant cotton Or what other crops shall
they put in to take the place of
cotton.
There is no doubt" said DR.. Har-
per, but that the cotton acreage
must be given a drastic reduction,
| but the sound way to do this, is to
follow the longtime injunctions of
| the state and government agriculture
| al officials, who have advocated that
| at home and then plant an acreage
| in cotton that Will give him the
number of bales that he wishes to
sell.
Now is the time to adopt a per-
manent system of agriculture in the
in enough corn for the family and
livestock, by planting velvet beans.
peanuts and soybeans for grazing
crops for the hogs and other live
acreage of the other food and feed
crops, not as much land will be left
for the cotton crop. In this way
the cotton acreage vii! be left for
the, cotton crop: In this way the
cotton acreage is automatically re-
duced and a good start made in
working out a permanent system of
crop rotation that will help in build
ing UP the ive-at-home idea which
all educators stress as the one sound
hn
naming acreage devoted to cotton,
liberal fertilization will permit of
better yields being produced on each
acre. These better and bigger yields
will aid materially in reducing the
cost Of growing each pound of seed
cotton because the expenses of grow
ing will be distributed over a larg-
er number of pounds at harvest
time.
Some of the leading college edu-
Gators and practical farmers state
that it will be a calamity for the
southern farmers to cut out his fer
tilizers this year and be content to
produce just what the land will give.
In my opinion, the expenses of Ia
Dor, seed, cultivation and other
charges that will be necessary in
making this low yield per acre will
be so great that the low selling
price now prevailing for al farm
produce will not net the grower much
profit. An investment in fertilizers
will return from 81 to Sc per acre
for the fertilizer alone; SO, 1t is
hardly worth while for the man who
Is farming for profit to think of
planting crops without giving them
some plant food.
Many farmers have thought that
fertilizers are too high in price to
be used this year, but the fact re-
mains that there has been a material
reduction in prices since the first
of January. Many farmers are now
taking advantage of this fact and are
rushing their orders in to the deal
ers. There are others who are hold
ing back planning to place their or
will not receive their goods in time
te put under the crop at planting
time. I believe that those who do
receive their fertilizers too late for
uHe at planting might use them as
side applica lions, but there will be
same danger in this policy under
bou weevi1 conditions. Cotton must
be pushed to an early maturity in
boil weevi1 territory and late fer
tilizing is not advisable.
"This is the year Of all years for
southern farmers to adopt perma-
nent system of crop rotation which
will include those crops needed to
produce food and feed for the fam
lily ard live stock. 1t is the year for
economical crop production so that
q profit can be made at the low
prices now prevailing. 1t is the year
for big yields on every acre put in
profit. It is not the year to cut out
the fertilizers as every farmer who
does so will find to his sorrow this
fall