Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-04-15
suppIementing Our Cotton Crop

Supplementing Our Cotton Crop
According to the figures now avail
able it seems as though Georgia had
{ produced about 1000 bales of cot
Ton in 1921. This represents less
than one-half of the crop we normal
~ make. Is the future yield to be
predicated on the outturn OF the
present year. That depends entire
. ly on how generally and persistently
we undertake to fight the weevil. ]
am one of those who believe that
Georgia will eventually produce as
: much cotton as she ever did, but
1t will undoubtedly take us some
years to get back on that basis. The
length of time will be determined
2 entirely by our attitude towards the
!. effective employment of the means
which will enable US to accomplish
the ends in question with the great
est celebrity In the meantime, 1t Is
certain that our cotton crop Will be
= less in volume and amount than
it has been for some years past. Is
: this fact destined to influence our
: agriculture to any material extent!
1t surely is, because we have nor
e mally been harvesting in Georgia
d. 100000 to 100000 tons of cotton
seed. If we reduce this tonnage by
approximately one-half we have ma
{: terially lessened the supplies of nu
trients available for feeding and fer
Elizing purposes.
In recent years we have used large
quantities of cotton seed meal as a
: carrier of nitrogen and other essen
g tial elements of plant food. 1t IS
self-evident that the demand for this
article as a foodstuff is now so great
as to materially lessen its ava1labil
tty for fertilizing purposes. On the
other hand, if we are to continue &c
use cotton seed meal for fertlllZlng
purposes in view of the small ton
mage available at present we must
certainly replace it with some salts
factory substitute. What. can be
suggested for this purpose? Several
crops which we are now producing
in large measure and the acreage OF
which we can materially increase
from time to time with advantage.
, First of all, would say that corn
= could be made to take the place OF
= the cotton seed in question. Second
we may use peanut meal, and third
velvet beans in one of several forms
We are credited this year in Geor
:. gia with making approximately So,
100000 bushels of corn, the largest
amount of corn ever gathered III
our history. We are supposed to
I have a great surplus of corn on that
account. The facts, however, are
not in accordance with this conclu
sion A little investigation will
quickly show that it will take be
tween 100000 and 10000, 900 bush
els of corn to supply the food nu
trients contained in our decreased
supply of cotton seed, amounting on
: conservative basis to between 400,
900 and 100000 tons. AS matter
: of fact, we have therefore wiped
out in a measure our surplus 81
corn, or in ether words we have USED
it to balance up the deficiency eX
listing in our total supply of cottor
seed. 1t is manifest that if Georgia
is to continue to produce only 500,
900 or 100000 bales of cotton fol
several years we must materially in
crease our corn yield over what we
= have previously done in order tt
maintain an equivalent supply OF
feeding nutrients within the borders
of the state. Can we increase the
yield of corn satisfactorily? Assured
ly! This can be done in a variety
" of ways which I shall not undertake
to detail at the present time.
In this connection it is desirable to
?, point out that our richest lands viii
.. all be available for corn production
in the future. This is due to the
fact that the weevil will eventually
necessitate our cultivating cotton or
our thinner upland soils rather than
on our richest bottom lands, as we
have frequently done in the past
This fact of itself means that there
will be a good deal Of the best lano
in the state available for corn grow
ing in the future which has not beer
assigned to that crop. 1t would ap
pear, therefore, that it should moi
be a difficult matter for us to place
corn production in this state on the
basis of an output of 100,000,00(
bushels per year. 1 think the time
is not far distant, in fact, when WE
will be growing the equivalent Of
.125,000,000 bushels of corn, ant
/: I am sure there will be demand
= for it within the borders of the state
before we attain that basis of pro
= duction.
Another crop which may be made
. to supply any deficiency existing il
i. our cotton seed is the peanut. Thi
crop is adapted for growth on al
our sandy lands. We can multipl!
the area materially in south Geor
gia whenever we get ready to d.
so. The peanut yields an oil o
just as fine quality as the cotto1
$: seed. 1t is just as easy a crop t.
:. grow and handle as cotton ever was
and it can fJ2e Dhandled by the crush
ing mills with dispatch and economy
No serious trouble need be expert
..enced in storing peanuts for any de
sirable length Of time. After thu
oil has been extracted from them {
= thoroughly wholesome and desirabl
flood stuff remains as a by-product
= Two classes of peanut meal can
: of course, be made. The one will
= contain the hulls, while in the 9th
err instance these will have been e2
cluded. The hulls themselves con