Arizona republican., 1922-05-13
Cotton and diversified FARMING

Cotton and Diversified Farming
An extreme view in its characteristic antagonism
sscotton raising taken by the Manufacturers
ora in the May issue in which it reiterates what it
has often said. that the South would have been
better off if it had bale of cotton that
the cotton gin and cotton raising and slavery all
bart of and the thing. had proven through
ages an unspeakable curse to this section"
Somewhat aside from the purpose of this article,
show that the Record partly wrong a
to cotton and is entirely right in its plea
fqR diversified farming, we may mention that but
Tor cotton would have escaped the war be-
the states. Greeley refers that in "The
American Conflict" though long out of print prob
itbb the ablest and comprehensive history of
the rebellion omitting from it of the intensity
of partisanism which Greeley still felt in the late
sixties. "A copy of it, by the way, lately been
procured the Phoenix library. In Conflict"
Greeley lists among the causes of the whitneys
Hhention of the cotton gin in 1898.
- The Record is moved to reteration of it's views
on cotton raising by a letter from G. II. Colley of
Georgia the Atlanta Constitution, who quoted
General Robert Toombs saying that he
FNished there but cotton seed in the world
SAhd when he asked what he would do with it,
Sfeplied, '"Damn it, l would it, General Toombs
WIS further quoted having said that cotton had
ruined the finest country that the ever shone
upon; had visited all the continents of the
t5d he seen any country equal the southern part
SEathe United States; but that cotton growing had
been its curse.
a.. The Record quotes from Mr. Colley:
My grandfather came from Virginia and trav-
eied over what then nearly all of the United
Sates. He told that in attractiveness and every
thing favorable to farming there
other part of the country equal to this. 1t
cred with vast expanse Of forest where the trees
stood apart and grew to great size, the Indians
burning off the underbrush every fall to make the
grass grow for the deer. He and General Toombs
both told me, and both familiar with conditions
of things here that until the country invaded by
cotton there was not scar on the landscape nor
wash in the fields
"A great many farmers say: What shall we do
for money crop?' What does Tennessee do? What
does Kentucky do? Or, old Virginia? All of these
have a smaller population than and yet
their farm products from and half to twice
much There is hardly product necessary
for the sustenance enjoyment of man that cannot
be in Georgia The greatest crops of ever
raised the United States have been raised here.
It's fruit crops excel those of all the other states.
hate to mention it, but it is the only country in the
world where five bales of cotton have been raised
IF a man will deal in cotton, and it is necessary
his comfort. let him buy 1t the present prices
at the prices quoted the exchange for this fall
and I'll warrant that that if he does not make any
thing by this procedure he will lose less than
by the raising of it
Commenting on the letter. the Record says: Tt
will take long time turn agricultural inter-
ests away from cotton to that of diversified farming
which If it had been pursued from the beginning
would have enriched this section beyond the agricul-
tural prosperity of any other country in the world
But the the South turns to diversified farming
the greater will be fits eventual prosperity"
The advantage, even the necessity, of diversified
farming to the highest agricultural prosperity is
longer. and has not for many years been debatable
question. That conceded and for three quarters
of century careful. intelligent farmers have prac-
teed it, rather than for diversification of crops for
crop rotation which they knew be essential the
preservation of the SOIL Later diversified farming
has be practced for itself alone as the
profitable as well the safest kind of farming
What Mr. Coley. the fiery General Toombs and
the Record have said in their comprehensive denun-
citation of cotton raising called by the absorp
ton of the Southern states by the cotton industry
which has frequently been disastrous to that
region through crop failures and unfavorable
kets and the impoverishment of the soil. Their con-
demnation would have been less sweeping if the
lands of the South had been divided among crops
adapted to the region, including cotton. for then
would the farmers have been dependent upon
a single market which they themselves by over
whelming production have broken down and the soil
would have had chance to recuperate from the
effect of the severe draft upon it which cotton
rop makes
These structures cotton raising only in
applicable to cotton growing in the Salt River
fiey or anywhere else Whefe our long staple COTTON
be grown In normal conditions there is
danger of broken market The whole volume of
such cotton that could be grown in this country
would contribute much to the flooding of the
market 1t is true that have recently suffered
from abnormal conditions. which are not yet COM
pletey restored that have felt what the South.
with its huge cotton production, always subject to
world competition in production has generally felt.
But the advice to diversified farming and the
warning against dependence upon crop is TO
be taken by to be just applicable to it
is TO the South