The Semi-weekly leader., 1922-03-15
CHICKENS AND PIGS
AS DAIRY ADJUNCTS
Profitable Suggestions for Mis-
sissippi Hill Farmers for
1922.

4 JnOugnL TO planning Lnelr WOTh anu
strive to put their cropping system
on more stable and permanent ba-
sis and make their plans to cover a
period of years rather than to jump
from one crop to another from year
to year as prices fuctuate. 1t should
be borne in mind that any crop will
hit bad seasons occasionally and fail
to be profitable either on account of
yield or price, therefore, to be safe,
we must have a system embracing
two or more money crops. Do not
throw crop down and waste what
development has been made because
it fails to pay one year. In planning
our system we must give due con-
sideration to soil building. Regard
less of immediate profit any system
that continually depletes that soil
will bring poverty in the end as fer
tile soils are essential to profitable
agriculture. Owing to the present
impoverished condition Of our soils,
we recommend a liberal but judi
cious use of commercial fertilizer.
All soils in Mississippi with the ex-
ception. of the Delta and the East
Mississippi Prairie are deficient in
phosphorus and an application of at
least 200 pounds of acid phosphate
per acre will be profitable under gen.
eral farm crops
Practically all of our soils are de-
ficient in nitrogen and it should be
applied by the use of nitrate of soda,
sulphate of ammonia, or cottonseed
meal.
Cotton should continue to be one
of our important money crops, but
by no means our sole cash crop. The
acreage devoted to cotton should by
all means be prepared we'll and lib
orally fertilized. The Holly Springs
Experiment Station has found that
an application of 200 pounds of acid
phosphate per acre over a period of
eight years has increased the ave-
rage yield 500 pounds of seed cotton.
Best results have been obtained from
200 pounds of acid phosphate and
100 pounds of nitrate of soda. All
of our stations have found that close
spacing gives the best yields.
One of the most important factors
is the Standardization of varieties in
order that growers may sell their
cotton comparatively to better aG-
vantage thereby getting the premium
that comes from good cotton of fair
and uniform staple.
Dairying for the small farmer is
a safe proposition when properly
conducted because it brings in stea-
dy income enabling him to operate
his farm, to certain extent, on a
cash basis, furnishes employment for
labor for the year round, and inn
proves the soil not only on account
of the manure, but the dairy farmer
will necessarily grow a considerable
acreage each year in leguminous
crops. The Cooperative Creamery
here at the college has been in oper-
alton now since 1912, so dairying
here is no longer an experiment.
During the month, of December, one
of the worst months in the year they
received from the farmers in this
community 67,623 pounds of cream
for which they paid the farmers $2F,- :
049.20, Forty of the patrons of the
creamery received checks for this
month ranging from $50 to $500
Dairying was not the sole occupation
of a single one of these patrons but
the, dairy business was only a part
of their farming system and consti-
tuted only part of their income.
With proper attention as to selec-
tion, feeding, and bleeding, a flock
of chickens will yield a nice profit
without taking much time from 9TH
er work. Every farm should have
flock of good chickens. Where there
is sufficient room, there is good mon
ey in turkeys. A shipment of tur-
keys was made from Starkville few
weeks ago for which the people re-
ceived over $4,000. We have not
the exact figures as to the cost of pre-
duction in each case, but it is certain
that these turkeys yielded a nice pro-
At.
Where economy and good manage
ment is practised In production, there
is a chance for profit in hogs even
now while prices are low Recently
there has been a better demand for
pigs weighing from 100 to 150lbs.
than for heavy hogs. AS pigs can be
raised to that weight at compare
lively small expense, we recommend
that attention be given to the pro-
duction Of feeder pigs.
In certain sections where soil and
climatic conditions are favorable,
and the proper organization is avail
able for marketing a limited amount
of trucking is profitable. However,
any community before launching the
trucking business should be careful
to organize for uniform production,
and establish some agency for exploit
tation and marketing their products.
No matter what we produce, we
will never receive the full benefits
of our labor, or the greatest possible
measure Of prosperity until we es-
tablish a better system Of marketing
farm products. Cooperative mar
keting has proven to be the best
means to accomplish this as 1t gives
the small farmer the benefit Of car
load rates and enables him to sell
more directly to the consumer or dis
tributor obviating the necessity Of
fhn nrndranf uaseinp thru 50 MANY
unnecessary hands. Cooperative
marketing necessitates organization.
Every county should have a market
Ing Organization with local units in
every community. The Farm Bureau
is undoubtedly the most practical Or
ganization for safe cooperative mar
keting Every county should have
ia Farm Bureau.
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