The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1921-03-21
MONDAY, MARCH 21, 1921
THE ACREAGE QUESTION AGAIN

Instead of advising the people to re-
duce the acreage of cotton one-half,
the people shauld have been advised
to produce as much crops as possible.
They should, Of course, have been ad-
vised to plant food crops first, enough
of every kind to satisfy the require
ments of the farms. After that they
should have been advised to plant. as
much cotton as the remaining lands
would allow, and should then have
been advised to make as much OF II
on these remaining lands as posi-
BILE, at as low price as possible.
The advice given has sounded too
much like a scheme of enforced idle
ness. 1t has been apparent to those
farmers who work and think for
themselves that this is the year Of
all wears when the farms should be
made to produce as much crops as 1t
is possible to produce at a minimum
expense. Had the American Cotton
Association put it's advice in different
form (the two plans amounting in the
end to the same thing) the people
who work the farms would haye CIV
en- the matter more consideration.
As it is, so far as we can see and
hear, all lands planted are to
be planted in cotton. 1t is reported to
US that the whole territory from Dy-
son to Abbeville is already laid off
for planting in cotton. News from
other sections brings like reports from
these sections.
There is no doubt that good deal
of land heretofore planted in cotton
will not be planted at all the present
wear. From all over the county news
comes of farms being without labor
ers. Later these lands may be sowed
in peas, or some of it planted in corn,
but as it now appears there will be a
reduction in acreage of cotton on ac-
count of many farms not being cul-
tiyated. Then again there are some
people who expect to farm, who are
not going to farm. Those people who
have not arranged to finance their
farms have a problem ahead of them
vet. Some of those who have started
MAJ find that they are unable to 60
on. The amount of fertilizers to be
used is being considerably cut. Al
together there seems good chance
that the acreage in cotton in this
county this year will be less than
last year, and that the yield will be
much less due to the failure to use
fertilizers in the first place, and due
in the second place to the fact that
last year the conditions were much
more favorable than they are likely
to be this year. Last year we had
what is commonly called good crop
year. We are not likely to have two
good crop years together.
It is still time we think for the
farmers to be advised against the one
crop idea. The farmer who does not
plant corn enough to satisfy the re-
quirements of his farm for another
wear will make a great mistake. In
addition, he should plant all kinds of
food crops. A patch of white potatoes
and a patch of sweet potatoes, a
good garden-these are some of the
things which should be planted. Every
farmer should be raising at least one
or two hogs. Every tenant on farms
should be encouraged to raise hog
or two. We can do "a great deal to
make ourselves self-supporting if we
will think about these things. Afted
Yve have planted our food crops, the
rest of our labor is surplus labor. We
may invest. it in cotton. After plant
ing the food crops, we will do we'll to
1lant as much cotton as the surplus
labor will produce. We do not be-
!ieve that as much fertilizers should
be used as heretofore. This is the
year of all years when the crop OF
coton should be produced at as little
cost as possible. Labor will be cheap
er this year than fertilizer, relatively
speaking.
We trust that when the figures a1e
announced two or three months hence
it will not be found that all the talk