Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-01-18

wheat needed for home consumption.
There is no excuse for our failure In
this direction. We have the land IN
abundance and we can raise any
where from fifteen to forty bushels
of wheat per acre and make the crop
at a season of the year when the
land upon which it is grown Is ordl-
narily idle. Surely these figures Will
startle us out of our Self-complacen-
cy and make us take more active
and definite interest in the cultiva-
ton of this essential crop. L am sure
that we could we'll afford to devote
a million acres of land in Georgia
to the cultivation of wheat If 800,
900 acres were planted under careIul
management with selected seed and
properly fortified we could easily
raise all the wheat needed at least
for the nutrition of our own people;
This would represent a long ano
creditable step in advance along the
right road ,..4,o
has varied a good deal during the
last twenty years. There has been
a steady increase in acreage. In
1900 we planted 3,55O,76O acres to
cotton. In 1920, we devoted SABA, W.
acres to this crop. In 1910. we PICK
ed more cotton from half million
1920. Favorable seasonal conditions,
of course, exercised a considerable
influence on the yield of that crop.
The figures show that we increased
cotton production by 80 per cent over
1900 and by II per cent over 1907.
expanded by Is per cent. 1t ap,,
pears that we have made no real
progress in cotton cultivation if we
measure the results by the yield
per acre. This would not indicate
a healthy state of affairs. To any
OH f111 ctl16ant of existing con-
ditions, it is self-evident that we
should be raising more cotton In
1920 on a million acres less land
than we actually gathered. The
thought Of the. cotton farmer seems
to be increased acreage rather than
increased yield. Enough attention
and consideration is not devoted to
the thorough and proper preparation
of the soil, to the selection of SUI
perior carieties, to the planting of
those strains of cotton which yield
the best character of fiber and to
the more practicable and scientific
use of commercial fertilizers. We
are still planting diseased cotton
seed in our fields, thereby. encourag-
ing the reaping of diminishing
suits of the indifference we have
exhibited along the lines indicated.
1t is evident that the time has ar
rived for a change in practice, and
in none Of the fields of agricultural
activity is there need or greater i'm
portance for the inauguration of a
new policy than in cotton cultiva-
ton.
The peanut crop has come on the
stage in so far as Georgia is con-
cerned primarily within decade. In
1910, we devoted 160,317 acres to
eatv aG on IN 2o5 S1 aeres Of l naff
The increase in weld over 1910 is
SO per cent. The gain in the south
for the ten year period was 81 per
cent and for the United States SO
per cent: We more than held our
There are no reliable figures avail
able relative to the yield of velvet
beans prior to 1920. At that time
this crop was planted on 100000
acres of land. 1t was seeded chief
Eed til bav With hee corn The
100000 bushels. 1t adds another i'm
portant grain fed to the list of the
crops which can be successfully and
profitably cultivated in Georgia.
We have made, great progress
the, record of our state. We should
feel encouraged over the results OBJ
tanned, and yet there is a word of
warning which 1 feel should be ut
tnd 18th at this time If we sit down
forth. we will find that the increase
in production which has been OBJ
served is based primarily on a con-
slant addition to the acreage of
land we cultivate. What is wrong?
We have, failed as yet to sense and
cultivation. We have failed to I'M
derstand that there are agencies
which we can employ whereby the
yield per acre will be substantially
increased. The extensive cultivation
intensive cultiyation. What we
need to do in this direction is to
intensity production. There should
be no further extension in the acre
age of cultivated land in my judg-
ment, but there should be an in
yields. This can be brought about
through the agency of seed selection,
thus eliminating the cultivation of
undesirable varieties, through the
use of only standard, pedigreed seed,
through deeper and more thorough
the, intelligent use of fertilizers
rather than the continued applica-
ton of them by mere rule of
thumb as has been the policy in
the past.
This, I take it. is the great les
the, agricultural statistics of the
state as set forth in the figures of
the census bureau. If we heed the
facts revealed to us in such sue
clnct form, we will at the end of
another census period have made
an even greater degree of progress
and success along agricultural lines
than has been witnessed in the past.
Substitute Crops for Cotton
Z. b. s., Concord, Ga, writes:
I would like some suggestions
from you in regard to crops to
grow in place of cotton. We
have been for five or six years
trying to get up some crop to
help out the cotton but have not
been very successful on account
OF the high prices for cotton.
Our one hope of continued pros
perity in Georgia, it seems to me,
lies along the line Of crop diversifi-
cation. The old battle cry of Tive
at home" is more important now
than it ever was. We still find that
Georgia is importing about $65,000,-
600 worth of human and animal food
stuffs which we should grow at
home. Some of our farmers have
enough meat and hay, but many of
them are still buying both of these
products from the west. If we could
keep at home the amount of money
we will send elsewhere for bread
stuffs, butter, eggs, meat, grain and
hay, we would have been compare
lively prosperous in spite Of the low
price of cotton. It is true that we
have diversified much in recent years
but we have "a long way to CO.
still, and so I feel that emphasiz-
ing hog production is a good thing
at the present time. We can also
afford to expand our grazing areas
for cattle materially and to increase
our grain crops as well.
There should be a good garden, a
home orchard and one or more fine
cows on every farm. We can add
$500 to the income of every Georgia
farmer in 1921 through cashing in on
these suggestions. We can also ma
terially improve the food supply of