The log cabin Democrat., 1921-01-21
SAFE FARMING IS URGED BY KNAPP MAKES STRONG ADDRESS Dean of University College of Agri- culture is Heard by Large
 Crowd Here

i I means of overcoming the disaster into which they have been plunged by the low price of cotton, Dean Bradford Knapp of the College of Agriculture, i University of Arkansas, delivered a plain yet eloquent appeal to large audience at the Commercial Club last night. The seating capacity of the hall was entirely inadequate to accom- modate the crowd, the majority pres ent being farmers, and at least 50 men stood through the entire meeting Dean Knapp, who was introduced 1 by Pres. r. F. Cleaver as one of the nations foremost men in agriculture, said in beginning that the depression due to low prices of cotton was sim | liar to that which existed throughout the country. Grain and forage crops of other sections, cattle and hogs, wool, hides and other commodities, he said, are selling for a fraction of what they were worth short time ago and the industrial sections of the United States were likewise affected. The cause, he said, was the enormous destruction of life and property in the world war and the huge war debts and extreme poverty of Europe which made it impossible to buy commodi- ties, however sorely they were needed. No certain percentage of cotton | acreage reduction was urged by Dean Knapp, who said if a safe policy of | farming were pursued, a sufficient cotton reduction would logically fol- low. He defined a "safe" system as meaning, first preservation and inn provement of soil fertility; second, the growing of sufficient food and feed on every farm to supply itself; third, the raising of some product in addition to cotton for a cash crop. If this is done, he said, it will not be possible to plant more than 12 acres of each 40 of cultivated land in cotton. Dean Knapp pointed out the certain duction of another big cotton crop and said present indications are that 10,000,000 to 12,000,0O0 bales will be carried over oon August 1, 1921. He also said it would be equally disas- trous for southern frmers to attempt to throw their entire efforts into some new crop, especially one of perish able nature. He urged that each farmer hold family council, decide how much food and feed he would re quire and how many acres it would take to produce it, then in addition plant small patches of potatoes, sweet and Irish, try to raise few extra hogs, more poultry and eggs, milk and butter, etc, so as to have some thing to sell besides cotton.
 The speaker also declared it was the dduty of Conway business men to seek outlets and provide markets for the surplus products of the farm and to consider all crops on the same basis as cotton in extending credits.
 Following Dean Knapp Judge George W. Clark, who had been se- lected to preside at this afternoons mass meeting. was called upon for few remarks. Judge Clark said he believed the farmers were men of good sense and judgment and that they should get together and decide upon syste moi cotton reduction. By far the greater number of them, he said, are honest and will faithfully abide by any program adopted by the majority.
 County Agent T. M. Williams urged the cooperation of Conway business men in providing markets for farm products other than cotton and said a large sweet potato drying house ought to be built He asked for such cooperation as had been extended to make the dairying industry around Conway the success it promised to be. He also warned against plunging in large areas of perishable crops. i The Memphis plan of reducing cot ton acreage to one third of the area of cultivated lands of 1920, which was adopted at the meeting in Little Rock this week, was expained by Cashier Y. D. Hill of the Faulkner County Bank X Trust Company, a member of the ways and means committee of the Little Rock meeting. The plan, MT. Hill said, contemplated individual ! pledges by farmers to plant no more than one-third of their cultivated lands in cotton; by landowners to re- quire such pledges of their tenants; by merchants not to extend credit to any farmer who failed to sign the pledge, and by bankers not to extend credit to any merchant who failed to exact the pledges of his customers or to farmers who failed to sign the pledge.
 The meeting was closed with a characteristically humorous talk by Pres. B. w. Torreyson of the State