The progressive farmer and southern farm gazette., November 25, 1911, Image 1

About The progressive farmer and southern farm gazette. (Starkville, Miss.) 1910-1920

Image provided by: Mississippi Department of Archives and History

                
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A Farm and Home Weekly for
Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Tennessee.
P. F. Title Reg’d, U.S.1 ---
Patent Office. JFOUNDED, 1S95, BY DB. TAIT BUTLER, AT STABKV1LLE, MISS.
Volume XVI. No. 47.SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1911.Weekly: $1 a Year.
THE SOUTH’S GREATEST AGRICULTURAL ASSET.
MUCH is said about the superior agricul- [~
tural advantages of the South. The y
fact that these are largely imaginary, or
are largely counter-balanced by disadvantages,
makes no difference to the politicians and pro
fessional orators. They serve a good purpose
and none object; but when intelligent and se
rious thought is taken of these so-called ad
vantages, they largely disappear. In fact, there
can be no advantage which will compensate for
a non-productive soil, and whatever may be the
cause, or however great may be the possibilities
for building up our soils, it remains a fact,
proved by our low average yields, that our soils
are poor. That is, they produce small—miser
ablv small—yields of our staple crops, cotton,
corn, oats, etc.
It is, therefore, evident that if we have any
superior agricultural advantages we are not
making good use of them. It is true that we j
have certain advantages, one of which, in par
ticular, might be of tremendous importance if §
employed as it should be. This special agri
cultural advantage—which by the way is about
the only special one of very great worth which
fe
«e possess,—is our long growing season and the possibility of keep
ing our soil at work all the time. Idleness is as destructive to the
land as to the prosperity and good morals of its owner. We have by
neglect turned the immense value which we might obtain from the
constant, employment of the land into the source, or cause, of our low
soil fertility and poor crop yields. The climatic conditions which make
it possible to keep growing crops on the land all the time are also
those climatic conditions which deplete the soil most rapidly when they
\ are left idle or not properly managed. In other words, the climatic
conditions which might have been our greatest help to good farming,
"e have, by neglecting to take advantage of them, turned to the de
pletion of our soils and the reduction of our crop yields. \ climate
which gives the heat and moisture necessary to grow crops on the land
constantly also gives the heat and moisture which cause all organic
i after to decay rapidly and leach nitrogen from the soil. Our gum
Jiers are hot and moist and our winters are open, exposing our unfroz
en and unprotected soils to the washing and leaching of torrential
rains.
The climatic conditions which make the putting of more vegetable
matter into the soil, we have met with less effort to replenish or add
to the scanty supply which it naturally contains.
In short, we have ignored and neglected the opportunities which
we possess for supplying the greatest need of our soils and have failed
almost entirely to profit by our greatest and only real advantage over
other agricultural sections. When we realize the tremendous profit
^ which will result from keeping our lands busy all the time and use our
facilities in this line to the extent practicable, then, and not till then,
j will the South become agriculturally great and reap the benefits of her
favoring climatic conditions. Our greatest agricultural asset is our
iong growing season and the ability to keep the land working for us
and improving all the time, but we have made practically no use of it.
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Courtesy Spaldinsr Deep Tiller Company.
SOME SURE-ENOUGH PLOWING-THE KIND TO DO AT THIS SEASON. <
It is, of course, too late now to sow a cover crop tliis year; but It is not
too late to begin the preparation of the land for next year’s crops—nor
is it too early. The corn and cotton lands should have a cover crop
on them; but if they have not, they will be better off broken deeply at
tliis season than left as they are. Tliis is especially time of clay soils.
If we will not take advantage of our greatest asset,—our climate—to
grow two crops a year, as we could and should, let us at least take ad
vantage of it to the extent of breaking, draining, and clearing off our
lands and getting them properly prepared before planting, next year’s
crops.
FEATURES OF THIS ISSUE.
A DANGEROUS UTTERANCE — Real Anarchy and Its Menace to
the People of the South. 13
“COW-SOW”—A Great Combination for the Southern Fanner. . . 4 ■[
CUTTING THE COTTON ACREAGE—The Only Way is for You to
Begin Farming in a Good Rotation . . . .. 2
DRAINAGE—A List of Publications on It and How It Will Help
Against the Boll Weevil. 2 and 3
FARMERS’ UNION TOPICS—Subjects for Locals to Discuss Next
Year . 21
FEEDING HOGS FOR PROFIT—Things to Consider Just Now. . . 14
FEEDING TERMS EXPLAINED — Some Things the Feeder Must
Learn . 13
HOW THE WOMEN OF INDIA LIVE—Interesting Facts for Amer
ican Women. U
HOW TO CUT UP THE HOGS—Directions and Illustrations. . , 8
PREPARING FOR BETTER FARMING NEXT YEAR—Suggestive
Letters From Our Readers. 3
THE FARMER’S THANKSGIVING — An Editorial Talk to Both
Successful and Unsuccessful Farmers . 12
WINTER CARE OF THE POULTRY — How to fcet High-Priced
Eggs . 18
WINTER SPRAYING—Now is the Time to Fight San Jose Scale. . 19