The Prescott daily news., 1921-02-25

EODOIllOll III WHICH NAiNs lAhAA thN-AA selves. due to the very great drop in cotton values, into one of the great and lasting benfit by joining in the movement to make a drastic reduction in the acreage planted to cotton and devoting the land so released to other crops, crops which are as dependabel as cotton to give a money return and crops that do not deplete the soil, but build up the fertility instead.
 The average yield of cotton in this section, especially since the advent of the boll-weavil, is not more than one quarter of bale per acre-a yield far to small to be profitable, even with cotton selling very high. With thepres- ent outlook for the price of cotton, and for that matter, any price that cotton can be expected to bring, yield of only one fourth of a bale per ecre, is an assurance of a financial loss in its production. Therefore the wise farm CT will discontinue the planting of cot ton on land that does not produce good yield. An observation of this rule would make for much greater re- duction of the cotton acreagethan IS now advocated If proper measures are taken now, we have the opportun- ity of turning the seeming change of our present expensive one-crop sys- tenn into safe and sane system of farm practices that take in to consideration not only the immediate gain of money, but tend to meet the present situation and foundation for this better sys- tenn we would like to make the follow ing suggestions:
 1. That no cotton be planteed on land that cannot be expected to yield as much as one-half bale bale per acre, under favorable conditions, because to do otherwise, is sure to result in financial loss to the producer. It is far better to plant such land to soil im- proving crops, like cow-peas, soy beans, velvet-beans, etc, and thereby start the process of restoring such lands to their native fertility
 It is we'll to remember that the bas- is of allagricultural prosperity is in productive soil With the average yields for cotton, corn and other crops, in this territory, we con never hope to be anything but a poor people. The remedy is to build up the land
 Any soil to produce profitable crops must have some depth, from six to ten inches, to permit normal develop ment of the plant roots and to enable it to supply moisture to plants during during the growing season. Plons should be made looking to the deepen ing of the soil by blowing deeper and subsoiling and by turning under vege- table matter, furnisher by leguminous crops, such as velvet beans and cow peas.
 Terracing It is not possible to build up roofing lands until all washing is stopped as far as this is possible. All such lands should first be properly terraced then constructive and per manent work can be started toward their improvement.
 Preparation.of the soil. It has been said that a crop well planted is half made, and this is a true statement, for we cannot hope to prepare a soil after a crop is planted It is not possible to make profitable yield of any plant when the young plants have to start life under such porr conditions. The remedy is to prepare the soil in adv ance of planting.
 Betterr Seed. The farmer can reas- onably expect an increase in the cott- on yield of from 20 to 40 percent by starting with pure seed of high yie- lding variety. An increase of 10 to Is per cent might very properly be ex pected from corn when good pure seed is planted, and the same is like wise true of all kinds of farm and gar den crops. Good seed will always pay
 Humus and Farm Manures. It is we'll to remember that the largest eff iciency from the use of commercial fertilizers can only be expected when the soil is we'll supplied with decaying organic matter. This can be accomp- lished by the saving of farm manures