Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-04-14
FARM EDUCATION
The Farm Outlook in South Georgia
BY DR.. ANDREW M. SOULE

the state forced an abrupt change II
our farm practice. 1t also necessi
tated the reorganization of OUR sys
TENS. of farming. In the old days
cotton could be grown with impunitS
in all parts of the state. Under such
conditions, the farmer made a living
and, in favorable years, a good profit
even. though the methods of cultiva'
ton were of an Indifferent order
The object of the farmer under such
circumstances was to produce al.
the cotton he could possibly raise.
This was done at the expense of
establishing and maintaining a
proper system of rotation and upon
the erroneous theory that feed stuffs
could be purchased more cheaply
than they could be grown.
Under present conditions with the
boil weevil infesting the entire cot
ton belt, farming is no longer a
simple matter of growing cotton.
Cotton remains the most important
money crop, but in the higher cost
and increased hazard of growing it
under boil weevil conditions has
forced, all farmers to reduce their
acreage and attempt to grow some
other cash crops as insurance
against complete failure of cotton.
The difficulties in the way OF
changing a farming system which
has been followed for generations
are so great that even in southwest
Georgia where the weevil infesta-
ton has been heavy for six years
and where many new crops have
been tried out, the problem of a
property balanced cropping system
has not yet been solved. 1t is on
this account that an extended survey
and study of the farming situation
in south Georgia has been under
taken, by the experts of the Georgia
State College of Agriculture.
This paper presents a discussion
of the principles upon which prof
liable cropping system must be
based and outlines of some success.
full systems now in use. The sug-
gested systems are not new to the
more advanced farmers of the re-
gion, but have been worked out for
the most part by the farmers them
selves through constant trial of new
crops and new combination of crops.
In the light of present conditions,
it would appear that a successful
or profitable cropping system should
embody the following points:
1. It must maintain the farm and
provide most of the food needed by
the persons living on it.
2. The crops shoCh be so chosen
that both man and mule labor will
be distributed as evenly as possible
throughout the year.
3. Il At least two important cash
crops should be grown, and thest
should..be crops that under normal
conditions have proven profitable.
1. The system should maintain
or improve the fertility of the soil
The production of feed and food
crops is essential to the prosperity
of the farm. No system of farming
which. does not provide for the main
tenanee of the farm can be consid.
cred safe. South Georgia has made
great progress in the production of
foodstuffs. The farmers in certain
pal 10 VI I4ldb 4SSIOI1 tame pIIOt al
having full smokehouses and year
round gardens. These have felt the
pinch of hardship less when crops
failed or low prices left only small
margin of profit.
In many parts of south Georgia
there is still room for improvement.
This is especially true with respect
to the production of food for the
share troopers. Under the old sys-
tenn, the large landowner found the
supply store a profitable enterprise.
His troopers made enough from
their cotton to pay for all their food
and clothing and many farmers
found it to their advantage to en-
courage the choppers to buy through
the supply store up to the full value
of their crops even before they were
gathered. Such system was fair.
ly safe so long as cotton was GER
tain crop.
Today with cotton a very uncer-
tain crop and with no other certain
cash crop to take its place, it is the
part of wisdom to raise on the farm
such food as the cropper and his
family need, including milk, butter,
eggs and fruit.
The first problem which the farmer
must solve in planning his system
of farming is to provide a sufficient
acreage in food crops to support the
farmers family, his laborers and
the necessary live stock.
In planning cropping systems,
two distinct types of farms must be
recognized. On the smaller family
- ~
done by the farmer and his boys, an
important part of the years receipts
consists of the family living, which
the farm furnishes. While a large
cash income is desirable, it is not SO
essential because the cash expenses
are not great.
On the larger plantation, the opera
tors own family living expense is
relatively small compared with the
total expense of operating the farm.
He must provide or permit his crop
pers to grow food crops and live
stock products sufficient to maintain
each family on the plantation be.
sides growing such crops as will in
sure money to pay his cash expenses.
The problems involved in growing
both maintenance crops and cash
crops for the two types of farms
are quite different and will be dis.
cussed separately.
In 1913 an investigation was made
by the. United States department of
agriculture to learn the amount of
foodstuffs used by farm families.
The southern states, from which
data was obtained, were Georgia,
North Carolina and Texas. Below
will be found summary Of the
amounts used per adult person of
such foodstuffs as are usually raised
or the farms:
bushels.
Fruit 3 IL bushels.
Corn meal, 156 pounds.
Flour, 224 pounds.
Syrup, 8 gallons.
Poultry, SIP pounds.