Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1922-06-02

SAliECd JublNiOooiy oAAN a
fight made against the weevil. Live
stock should, in a limited way, fur
nish a supplemental cash crop to
cotton.
We find from the 1919 census nat
Jasper county produced just about
enough meat for home use, averaging
around four head of hogs per farm.
These farmers could easily increase
this number of hogs to as many as
ten head per farm, thus haing six
surplus hogs to each farm as a money
crop.
The sale of chickens and eggs in
Jasper county, according to the 1919
census, averaged for the entire coun-
ty about S. per farm. 1t would be
easily possible for each farm to pro-
duce 500 worth of poultry products
which would make a substantial ad-
dition to the farm revenue of the
county.
Every farmer should keep a few
good milk cows. Where as many as
four to six good milk cows are kept
there will be a surplus of cream. This
can either be sold in the form of
butter produced at home, or if there
is a creamery near the surplus cream
can be sold as sour cream. This will
bring in small revenue each month
which will help meet the current eX-
penses of the farm.
The following cropping system is
one that might be used in your sec
ton:
On each 35 acre unit of cultivated
land the. following crops are plant
ed: Is acres of cotton, ) acres of
corn in five foot rows with a row of
peanuts in the middle and velvet
beans planted in the drill with the
corn, acres of corn in five foot
rows with row of soy beans in the
middle, 2 acres of rye and l acre of
wheat, all of the small grains to be
followed by either cow peas or soy
beans for either a grain or hay crop,
and 5 acres to be devoted to miscel-
laneOus crops, such as sugar cane
for syrup, sweet and Irish potatoes,
peanuts, grazing crops for hogs, etc.
AS far as possible cotton should not
be planted after cotton, but should
be followed on land that was Planted
to a legume crop the previous year
The above plan would provide the
necessary feed for live stock on the
farm and small surplus of crops
other than cotton for sale.
1t should be remembered that cot
ton is, and will continue to be, the
South's best cash crop. The problem
is to wisely )readjust the system of
farming under the changed condi-
tions brought about by the weevil
1t is still possible to grow good
crops of cotton under weevil condi-
tions, but few lessons must be
learned and learned thoroughly be-
fore this can be done. Briefly stated
the problem is as follows:
/. Fertilize cotton judiciously
with a fertilizer containing quick
acting nitrates. Some experiments
have shown that 200 pounds of acid
phosphates and 100 pounds of nitrate
of soda, applied before planting cot
ton, will give an increase of as much
as 500 pounds of seed cotton per
acre under weevil conditions. The
nitrates should be applied either be-
fore planting or at the time of the
first cultivation of cotton. The big
problem is to rush the cotton to ma
turity in 80 to 100 days. In this
fight to control the boil weevil and
bring about a readjusted system of
farming, commercial fertilizer will
play an important part.
2. The choosing OF good va
riety of early maturing cotton is es-
sential.
8. Push the crop from the first
and not allow it to become stunted
by weeds or grass, or lack of cult
walton. Cultivation should be con-
tinued until the cotton begins to
open.
4. Experiments have shown that
calcium arsenate when properly APP
piled is an aid in weevil control.
1t is important that business men
and farmers realize at the outset
what constitutes a good plan of farm
ing under weevil conditions, and
adopt some definite system of farm
ing and stick to it. 1t takes time to
learn to handle new system of farm
ing to the best advantage. Nothing
will be gained by changing the sys-
tenn of farming each year. This has
been great drawback to farmers in
some sections of the weevil territory.
Very truly yours,
q TRIIE Dirnctnr