The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1923-09-27
SILVER LINING
FOR 1923 FARMERS;
TO REAP HARVEST
Shortage of YeiId this Year will
Open Way for More Profitable
Farming, Dairying, Trucking,
Food and Feed Crops Better.

The present cotton crop is prov
ing to be one of the most disap-
pointing in the history of this
county; more disappointing in view
of the fact that so much was spent
for fertilizers and other expenses
of the crop Not only are we go
ing to harvest a short cotton yield
but the unusually rainy seasons
have made the corn crop one OF
the shortest for years.
When we consider how many
people in Mississippi are dependent
on the farms-eighty out of every
one hundred of the total population
we can very readily see that all
interests of the state are going to
be greatly affected by this situa-
ton.
During the year 1920 all business
was practically paralyZed because
of the general conditions prevailing
on the farms, cotton went down
and no sale could be found for other
farm products, the world waited un-
til the farmers were able to buy
and then business became better;
now the situation must be faced
Squarely. We cannot give up and
say ''let the other fellow do it,,
we each have duty to perform and
the farmer is going to work out this
problem as he has always done.
1t is his problem and no one ex-
cept himself can solve it.
The least disturbed citizen of
Rankin County today is the small
farmer who has grown some truck
for market in connection with his
general farming; and the small
dairy farmer who has some good
dairy cows and has marketed some
thing every week from his farm and
operated on a cash basis; he has
been able to pay the family ex-
penses as his cream checks came
in two weeks, as a rule on a few
acres of his best land he is making
as much cotton as his neighbOr
who did not have the cows to milk,
and his corn crop average will at
least double the per acre yield, he
has perhaps worked a little harder;
perhaps been a little more atten-
tive to the small details of the
farm but his condition today is that
of an Independent farmer; his credit
is good and his financial worries
are less than the man who depended
on the one cash crop system.
We are encouraged over the fact
that number of farmers are plan
ming to turn part of their time
towards good cows and either sell
milk or cream. The dairy business
offers an opportunity to the man
who is not afraid of work, a sys-
tenn of agriculture, he adds fertil-
ity to his fields every year, his herd
of milk cows is improved from
year to year; he can raise some
it offers a splendid side line in
come from the growing of some
good chickens and the sale OF eggs.
There is no argument against the
dairy farm except the work; it is
by no means a get-rich- quick sys-
tenn but steady, sure income and
a gradual increase in earning cap
acity. Dairy cows are reasonably
cheap at this time and dairy pro-
duets and the market in fair de-
mand.
1t seems that this is a practical
step for the business farmer TO take
just at this time, and in going into
this system of farming he should
resolve that he is going in 20 stay,
any big change in an agricultural
system requires years to perfect and
year after year the resources for
more money are strengthened. In
connection with the dairy farm we
will have to make plans for feed
for livestock, the corn is short and
prices point high it is to our in
terest to consider ways and means
to make our present supply of
feeds go further by planting oats
and winter clover crops.
BY planting oats during October
and November they viii have made
sufficient growth by the time cold
weather comes to afford a splendid
grazing crop, which will go far to-
wards supplementing the short corn
crop. We have some good cloverS
that grow well here. The Burr
and Red Clovers have been tried
out in this county and prove to
be of great value.
The winter grazing features of
a good clover is well worth the eX-
pense of the seed and planting but
the big pay comes from the added
nitrogen when the crop is plowed
under in the spring and helps to
feed the succeeding corp of corn.
This county should have thousands
of acres of these clovers growing
this winter. If you are interested
tn winter crop, or going into the
dairy business call on your county
agent who will gladly assist you in
planning. In the meantime think
seriously of your present outlook
for another crop and ask yourself
in all candOr the question: us the
one crop for cash the right sys-
tenn; the best for me and my
e