Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1926-11-04
COTTON is NOT SOLE
RELIANCE OF FARMERS
SAYS ACRICUL AL EXPERT


outlook for the future is taken by
Roland Turner of Atlanta, general
agricultural agent for the Southern
Railway System, who has first-hand
knowledge of conditions in all parts
of the cotton belt east of the Mississ-
ippi. Realizing that the fall in price
of cotton means loss of expected in
come to the growers, he believes that
the condition of large proportion
of the farmers is such as to minimize
the effects of present low prices. Dis
cussing the matter, Mr.. Turner said:
"The price of cotton is today four
or five cents pound below what
farmers looked forward to when the
crop was planted 1t would be alb
surd to say that this drop in price
will not call for some reduction in
buying by the farmer and his family
and will not have, to some extent, an
adverse effect on business throughout
the cotton belt. But there is, in
many quarters, tendency to exag-
gerate htese bad effects.
eff the cotton belt had remained
! a region of one-crop farming the eff
feet of such drop would have been
disastrous. There are still individual
farms on which cotton is the only
crop, but, broadly speaking, the cot
ton belt east of the Mississippi river
has become a region of diversified
farming to such an extent that a de-
pressed market for any one of its
products - even cotton-does not
mean disaster.
Year of Good Crops
"The South has produced unusual
ly good yields, not only of cotton, but
of all other crops this year. Cotton
belt farmers have greater and more
nearly adequate SUPPLIES of grain and
forage than for many years, and sup
plies of food products are ample.
Fruit crops were never better, gar
dens produced abundantly and farm
pantries are well supplied with
canned and preserved fruits for home
use. While it is true that southern
farmers have grown an over-supply Of
cotton this year, it should be remem-
bered that the production of other
market crops, dairy products, poultry,
eggs and hogs has increased steadily
since their introduction as side-lines
on cotton belt farms was begun about
1920.
"Dairying, poultry raising and hog
raising, or the cow, hog and hen pro-
gramme, which appealed so strongly
to southern farmers Immediately fol-
lowing the after-the-war depression,
has had mervelous growth in all
parts of the South. It is not true
that dairy herds were neglected or
dispersed OF that poultry flocks were
neglected or that Investigation gen.
orally was given up for cotton farm
ing this year. While the cotton acre
age was larger, the increase in acre
age in the territory east Of the Miss
issippi river this year over last was
not appreciate. The more thought
full farmers realize that the depressed
price of cotton isthe result of over
production, and the South, recognize
ing this principle, will reduce its cot
ton acreage somewhat and will in
crease it's production of live stock,
dairy and poultry products, thus max
kingsub stantial progress in the estab-
lishment of a sane, economical, we'll
balanced system of farming.
Cows, Poultry and Hogs
"The South will remember when
farmers were struggling with the boil
weevil and restricted credits; when
the question, Where has the money
all gomez was on tn clips of every
one. Southern farmers will remem-
Der that in 1920, when the after-the-
war depression was lashing us and
when prosperity had all but van
ished, a movement was launched for
dairy cows, poultry and hogs as side
lines. on every farm, which, if it had
been adopted to the extent advo- |
Gated, would have made the happen
ings of the last few weeks impossible.
No suggestion ever offered for the re-
lief of southern agricultural depres-
sion, even for the removal Of the pos
sibility of serious depression in south
ern farming, held such merit as this,
with checks from the creamery and
money from eggs and poultry COM
ing In every month and from hogs
at intervals.
'This programme holds as its
strong point the removal of the nee
essity for going in debt for supplies
and money on which to go while MAX
ing the crop. Its purpose was to
yield the farmer current money
throughout the year sufficient for
current expenses of the farm and
household. It worked, and many
farm families were saved from the
necessity of making debts for current
supplies against their money crops.
Existing conditions simply mean
that we will turn to dairy cows,
chickens, brood sows and pigs, sheep
and lambs, beef cattle, truck crops
and fruits-in short, to diversified