Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-03-10

Recognizing the Big Georgia Farm
What are we going to do with oui
big farms? This is a problem OF
paramount Importance to thousands
Of landowners. In times past. the
absentee landlord got along fairly
well, and the big plantation could
sbe made TO sustain itself through the
cultivation of cotton. Those days
have passed away, and new era
has been ushered in. What can be
done towards the successful solution
of the various problems which have
followed in it's wake? A careful
survey of the situation would indi-
cate that the plan of procedure in
dicated below possesses much merit,
and that the individuals who at
tempt to organize and handle their
business on the basis indicated will
win the largest measure of success.
In making this statement, I am not
expressing an individual opinion, aut
basing it on the result Of the most
careful investigations made by the
experts of the Georgia State Col
!cge of Agriculture. Some years ago
several experts were detailed to work
out a scheme whereby the difficult
ties of the large landowner can best
be met and overcome in view OF the
revolutionary changes in farm prac-
tice which the invasion OF the DOH
weevil has made essential.
The large farms which are oper-
ated by share troopers, tenants and
wage hands, present many problems
which the small, one-family farm
does not have. Instead of; beng re-
sponsible for the support ana main
tenance of one family, the plantation
owner is in a large measure respoh'
sible for the living expenses OF sew
eral families that cultivate his lano'
If those families can not MAKE
enough food on the land which they
cultivate to supply them the land
lord must see that they plant SUI
fcient cash crops to make 1t posi-
BILE to purchase the supplies that
can not or are not produced on the
farm.
In addition to the feed and food
supplies purchased, the cash crops
must supply enough revenue to pay
the operating expenses Of the farm
and leave a profit for the operator.
Fertilizer, seed and equipment must
be bought. The operator must
either bear the expense or stand for
his choppers, which sometimes
amounts to the same thing. If
cropper fails to "pay out" often ne
moves to other sections. leaving his
debts and other troubles with the
landlord. Therefore. it is even more
important that the plantation farm
be self-supporting than the one-tam-
ily-farm. If a one-family-faGn falls
behind, then that family curtails ex-
penses and economies to meet the
new conditions. While on the plan
tation, if choppers fail to pay out
and move away, the landlord has
little chance of collecting. This kind
of a croDper has little property of
value, and none too strong a desire
to pay up his back debts. esides,
his new landlord ties him up so
that he the landlord will have the
crops produced as collateral for sup
plies advanced. Before the boil
weev;l came, many large planters
purchased a big per cent of their
supplies, including hay and grain,
with cotton money. Such practice
now involves too much risk and
has been practically abandoned.
The problem that the operator Of
a cropper-farm now faces is to grow
the food and feedstuffs needed on
the farm and at the same time so
organize the business that the farm
will return a profit. The growing
Of the maintenance crops are neces-
sary insurance, while the making
of a profit is essential if the opera
tor stays in business. In the case
of the cropper-farm, the share-crop-
per receives as pay for his labor
one-half of all that he raises. In
the one-family-farm, the work is
either done by members of the fam
lily or hired labor. There is very
little profit to the operator from
corn, oats, or wheat when raised
by Share-cropperS. Under this SyS-
tenn, the cost Of production is ma
terially increased. Yet, these crops
must be raised in order to provide
for the choppers and their families
and feed the live stock.
No figures are available which
give the average size of cropper's
family. In the absence of such fig
'ures, we have assumed the average
to be about three adults or their
equivalent. A cropper having
larger family than this would very
likely operate two plows. or get a
mule and become a renter. Since
the plans are based upon one crop
per to the pillow, a family which
operates two plows would count as
two choppers.
On the basis of three to the fam
lily, and using the same standard
per adult, as in the calculations
for the two-mule farm, the crops
necessary to maintain the share