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6 THE ATLANTA SEMI-WEEKLY JOURNAL, ATLANTA, GA., TUESDAY, JULY 29, 1913. AGRICULTURAL is Education ,*md Successful Farming J 1 Anwew ft Soule This department will cheerfully endeavor to furnish any information. Letters should be addressed to Dr. Andrew Soule, president State Agricultural College, Athens, Ga. SECOND CROP IRISH POTATOES T HE cultivation of second crop Irish potatoes should receive serious consideration at the hands of Georgia farmers. There are two rea sons for this. First of all, this tuber is valuable as an addition to the home ' dietary, and second, it commands a good price and a ready sale in all the con suming centers of the state. As a rule, this crop should be planted in late July or early August, and the preparation of the ground should, therefore, be un dertaken at once. If the crop can be grown after some legume which has en riched the soil and improved its-physi cal condition it will be an advantage. Where this cannot be done a liberal application of yard manure will be found helpful, as it tends to prevent -the ground from baking and helps to retain moisture. Breaking the ground thoroughly is the first and most es sential step and this should be done at an early date. Harrow and cultivate the surface so -as to destroy weeds and to prevent the escape of moisture into the air through the preservation of a dust blanket or mulch. The frequent stirring of the ground is a matter of the utmost importance. Lay off the ground in three-foot rows. A bull tongue or shovel may be used for this purpose, though a turning plow can also be employed to very good ad vantage. The furrow should be of con siderable depth and if some partially decayed litter, leaf mold or yard manure is. available, scatter it in the bottom of the trench and then mix the manure and fertilizer used thoroughly with the subsoil. It is desirable that the pota toes be planted at a considerable depth so as to insure their receiving the largest amount of moisture possible, for if they can be induced to sprout and come to a stand, the greatest problem of the planter of second crop potatoes has been overcome. A good application of fertilizer should be made to this crop, though, the ex cessive use of nitrogen is to be avoided as this will often produce stalks at the expense of tubers. There are two ele ments on which the Irish potato crop makes a heavy demand, and they both happen to be mineral elements which are not found in unusually large quanti ties in. most of our Georgia soils. In fact, on those types of land which are best adapted for the cultivation of po tatoes, namely, loamy soils containing a fair amount of sand, they are quite likely to be more or less deficient un less supplied through artificial sources. A good formula to use under Irish pota toes should contain 8 to 9 per cent of phosphoric acid, 3 to 4 per cent of ni trogen, and 6 to 8 per cent of potash. On extremely sandy soils all of the ele ments should be increased by 1 per cent, though probably the potash should be increased as much as 2 per cent, as sandy soils are unusually deficient in this element. The sources of plant food will vary according .to circumstances. Cotton seed meal, nitrate of soda, sulphate of ammonia, blood and tankage should be used as the nitrogen base. Acid phos phate will supply phosphoric acid in a desirable form. Sulphate of potash is recommended as superior to other forms of this element for Irish pota toes, but a series of tests made at the various experiment stations and by practical farmers do not indicate that there is any marked difference in the effect on the cooking quality of the j Irish potato from applications of mu riate as compared with sulphate. As a hi$h per cent of potash is required, however, it is best to use a concen trated carrier of this material. The farmer may apply either one of these forms, however, without injury to the cooking quality of his crop. The potatoes should be cut with two to three eyes to the piece and the cut portions should be immediately cov ered with land plaster to prevent bleed ing. Plant the potatoes shortly after cutting, dropping them 16 to 18 inches apart in the drill. Cover to a depth of several inches as quickly as possible so as to retain the moisture and prevent the sun drying out the soil in the im mediate vicinity of th ecuttings. Some prefer to plant whole potatoes and if this be done smaller ones of uniform size should be selected. Another meth od of treating the seed which has been followed with success is to cut the po tatoes, treat with land plaster, and plant in a bed of sand in a shady place. This bed is kept watered, and as soon as *.ne eyes of the potatoes start they are planted in drills, as indicated above. This method has sdme advantages for' occasionally seed is found which does not germinate well. The seed^ selected should, as a rule, be chosen from the first crop, and it is well to get home grown seed whenever possible. A number of varieties may be used foT second crop planting, but probably there is nothing better than Red Bliss or Lookout Mountain. This is a strain which has been developed in the southi In recent years and has been grown with considerable success by many farmers. After the potatoes are planted and the drills well covered . there is little to do until sprouting commences. Before the potatoes come tarough the ground the land should be thoroughly harrowed and frequent side cultivation should be given as long as the weather remains dry and hot. This helps to conserve moisture, as already pointed out, and insures a more rapid and uniform growth of the plants. In localities where there is an abundance of litter many prefer jiot to cover the potatoes more than two or three inches deep and then to use litter on top of the ground to a depth of six or eight inches. This undoubtedly is more likely to in sure a more uniform stand and a larger yield, but, of course, it is difficult and Impossible on many farms to secure lit ter of the right character in sufficient quantity to cover the land as complete ly as is deemed advisable. The farm er who cannot secure litter can store up a sufficient amount of moisture through proper preparation and cultiva tion to insure a stand, and the impor tance of second crop Irish potatoes should encourage him to study their production and engage in their cultiva tion to the extent of at least supplying, the needs of his own family. There is no reason why ...s crop should not be made of great commercial importance to the farmers of Georgia. With soil' and climatic conditions so favorable to the production of Irish potatoes, it is fortunate that every fall we should witness the shipment into the state of thousands of cars of tubers of a quality not superior in any respect to those which can be produced at home* * through the exercise of a little skill and care In the management and fertilization of the land and the selection of seed adapted to the special climatic condi tions existing in the state. PREPARING LAND FOR ALFALFA. R. D. R., HidowicI, Ga., writefc: I would like to know how to prepare land for alfalfa. Oats were planted last spring and it is now In peas. It is a medium light soil and has been pretty highly fertilized for several years with stable manure. What kind of hog is best for raising for market? Is there any profit in raising them for market if you have to buy all the feed? How much can a hog be made to weight at six to nine months old? Do you have for sale a cholera serum? If you desire to «plant alfalfa this fall, you have acted wisely in sowing the land on which you harvested oats this s-pring to cowpeas. No doubt they are up and growing nicely and you have probably fertilized them fairly well with a 10-4 formula. As soon as the peas are in good condition to cut for hay, which 'will likely be some time in Sep tember, turn them under to a good depth. The land should be immediately compacted by means of a roller and then harrowed. Next apply two tons of the finely ground rock, the largest particles of which should not be greater than the size of a wheat grain. Harrow the land every week or after every rain so as to conserve moisture. When ready to plant the alfalfa put down 1,000 pounds of a 10-4-7 formula if your land is sandy; otherwise, you may not need to use quite so much potash. Work the fertilizer well into the surface soil, but do not plow it sooner than two weeks after the lime has been used. Next sow 20 to 26 pounds of inoculated seed; western seed is preferable. You may scatter it broadcast and cover with a weeder. You can 'secure inoculating material from the United States depart ment of agriculture in Washington. We have found its use very satisfactory. After the alfalfa is up do not graze, pasture or cut during the fall. In the spring you may cut for hay. Then top- dress well with yard manure, using sev eral tons per acre. Then you should probably fertilize it twice a year with 500 pounds of a formula made up of equal parts of acid phosphate and kainit. There is r» one best breed of hogs, but you will find the Tamworth excel lent to raise for bacon purposes, ,while for general maintenance on Georgia farms one of the best breeds is the Berkshire. There is no reason why good money should not be made from raising hogs on grazing crops in this country, and where a systematized series of crops is laid down only a moderate amount of grain need be fed. A hog may be made to weigh from 200 to 300 pounds at nine months of age, but it depends much on how you feed and han dle him, and it will take good manage ment to accomplish this result. The college manufactures by direc tion of the state legislature hog cholera serum. This is sold at actual cost. The distribution of thfis serum Is in the hands of the state veterinarian. This is not considered a cure for cholera, but is a preventive when properly used as the records in our office show. * V * GETTING OUT OF THE RUT. W. I. N., Bullockville, Ga., writes: I am a young farmer who does not intend, to fol low along in the old ruts made by our great grandfathers. I own 360 acres of good farm ing land and have become disgusted with cotton. I have harvested this year nearly 1,000 bushels of oats and have sown greater part of laud in peas. I wish to begin this fall to prepare my land for three acres of alfalfa, and would be glad for all the in formation you can give me along this line. Your determination to get out of all cotton and vary the crop production on your land is to be highly commended, it is only by such methods that the, farmers of Georgia will win indepen dence and become permanently prosper ous. By all means increase your area in winter oats. On the college farm this year w'e harvested an average of forty bushels of oats an acre on sixty acres, and the season was not particu larly good. This is as much corn as we can hope to raise per acre, yet the oats will not take out of the soil as much fertility as corn and they are grown at an off season of the year when corn will not grow. We have all this land, now in cowpeas with the promise of a fine yield of hay. The oats and peas will make as much money as we can get ouc of cotton or corn and will im prove the land materially. As we di versify and rotate our crops we will be able to build up our soils by taking nitrogen from the air and have an abundance of feed for the maintenance of live stock, and thus we can have yard manure for the further enrichment of our lands. In preparing land for alfalfa it is im portant to remember that deep and thorough preparation is essential. You must get weeds and grass out as com pletely as possible - as crab grass is one of the worst enemies of this crop. If you have cowpeas growing success fully on- some piece of land turn them under in September when in good con dition for making hay. Put on two tons of caustic lime per acre as a top dressing and work in with a harrow. Two vreeks later apply 1,000 pounds of a 10-4-7 or 10-4-8 formula, depending on the percentage of clay in your land and worked in with a harrow. Sow 20 pounds of properly inoculated western grown alfalfa seed. You can secure the inoculating material from the United States department of agricul ture. Do not graze or pasture the al falfa in the fall. We have obtained about 3.6 tons of cured hay from three cuttings of alfalfa already this year, and it will probably yield as much as five tons of hay. Of course we took some time to prepare the ground as de scribed above. • * * ♦ IDENTIFICATION OF CLOVER PLANT. T. J. W., Quitman, Ga., writes: I am sending a few leaves and a bloom from a plant which came up in my garden this spring. Would be glad to have the name of the plant and to know whether it is good for'forage or hay. The sample sent in appears to be red clover, but it was so dried out and badly shattered when received that one can not always be positive about iden tification. When desiring to have a plant identified it is best to send it wrapped in moist cotton. The clovers, as you no doubt know, are extensively cultivated in the northern states and In some of the southern states as well. Clover was more successfully grown a few years ago in various parts of this state than it is now. This is probably due to the fact that the seed used at the present time is mostly brought in from other sections of the country. There is a disease which attacks clover In the south and causes much of it to die out. Experiments conducted at the Tennessee Experiment station, at Knox ville, indicate that a strain has been found resistant to this trouble. Where it has been grown in different parts of Tennessee it has withstood the climatic conditions quite extensively. We believe HOW A TEXAS FARMER IMPROVES HIS CORN CROP; SELECTING SEED (By H. Corbett Millender in Texas Farm and Fireside.) Realizing that scientific methods are absolute necessities in the production of the best yields of any crop, the farmers of this state are gradually readjusting themselves to the more up-to-date meth ods, and as a result Texas Is fast forg ing to the front as an agricultural state. One of the farmers whom I have noticed lately is G. Wilson Reid, proprietor of the Lone Star ranch at Fairbanks. Tex. Heretofore he has been an extensive producer of hay, and most of his energies have been directed along that line; but this season finds him with one of the best corn crops that I have seen this season. I carefully went through this corn field a few days since, and helped the owner select some seed for next sea son’s crop. Of course, it is a little early to select seed corn now, but we went into the field and selected the best ears and tied a string on them so that when the crop was harvested these ears could be saved. This is one of the best meth ods to use if the work on the farm is of such a nature as to prevent the farmer’s spending several days going over his field. By doing this a row or two can be gone over when the opportunity pre sents itself and the regular routine of farm work will not be interfered with. This farmer formed,an opinion of what kind of corn he would like to have and after firmly fixing his standard in mind we went into the field and tied strings onto ears which were upon stalks con forming to, the ideal. A great deal of care should be exercised in this selection of seed and attention should be paid to the kind of stalk that is producing the seed as well as the seed ear itself. We rejected the good ears which were pro duced upon poor stalks and vice versa. A careful inspection was made of the stalk, the height of the ear upon the stalk, the size and length of the shank of the ear, the erectness of the ear, the erectness of the ear on the stalk, the tassel on the stalk, the size of the stalk the height of the stalk, etc. This is absolutely imperative in securing good seed which will produce corn conforming to the ideal. By making a rigid selection only a few ears can be secured from an acre, but these good ears can be planted in a seed plot next season and from this seed plot can be selected seed for the next sea son’s seed plot and in a, few years a strain of seed corn can be produced that would be thoroughly acclimated and highly productive. This is the idea upon which Mr. Reid is working this year. He has seen the possibilities of a seed farm and his intentions is to produce an excellent strain of seed corn which will be highly productive and thorough ly acclimated to this locality. While I have spoken only of Mr. Reid in this article, a great deal of credit should be given his wife, who is “en gineering” the operation, and who de serves the major portion of the credit. it is esential to select red clover seed from plants produced in Georgia to se cure the best results, and that if this is done clover may be grown with con siderable success in various parts of the state. Clover is to the north what cowpeas are to the south, and we should make every effort to cultivate these crops, for they belong to the family of legumes and have the power under nor mal conditions of gathering nitrogen out of the air and thus increasing the supply of this Important element in our soils. I would suggest that you save seed from the plant in question and increase your area from year to year, sowing a little strip in your garden and see if it does not withstand climatic conditions to good advantage. Of course, alfalfa is more desirable to cultivate than red clover and we see no reason why you should not grow it with as much success. In the meantime you should grow as large an area as possi ble in such legumes as you know to be well adapted to Georgia conditions. • * * GROWING ^COTTON AFTER VELVET BEANS. B. H. G.,. Reidsville, Ga.. writes: A friend of mine says he finds it imprac ticable to produce a good yield of cotton aft er a rank growth of velvet beans. It Is like ly that better results would be secured by liberal applications of potash and phos phorus. We would like suggestions from you in regard to this matteV. There is no reason .why green crops cannot be plowed under to advantage on ohr Georgia soils and made to increase tlie yield of cotton and other crops When green crops are plowed .under the mistake is sometimes made of plowing them down before they mature suf ficiently. Velvet beans will seldom be ready to turn under in this climate until rather late in the fall. They should not be plowed down as a rule until in good condition for making hay. Of course, the turning under should be accomplished before frost strikes them. After the land is plowed it should be compacted so as to bring capillary moisture to the surface. Then harrow so as to hold the moisture in the ground. Where velvet beans or any other legume is plowed under one should use very considerable amounts of phosphorus and potash, because the chances are the soil will be better sup plied with quickly .available nitrogen than with these very essential elements. Most farmers make the mistake of not applying enough of the mineral ele ments to such crops as legumes. We suggest that wliere peas are plowed under that the formula for cotton be 10-2-5 on clay lands and 10-2-7 on sandy lands, and that 500 to 1,000 pounds be used per acre, probably 600 pounds being put under the drill row and 200 to 300 pounds used in one or two side applications, as seasonable conditions seem to make advisable. * • • SODDING THE BANKS OF A FILL. W. H. K., Jackson, Ga., writes: I ’desire to know the best method of sodding a fill or a side of an embankment built of red clay, a fall of 15 feet in 30. At the pres ent price of farm labor would a contractor be safe in accepting a contract for sodding two and a half acres at $200.00? W'hen there is a co-operation of willing workers in any field of human endeavor there will be success, and this has been clearly demonstrated to me in this case. The country around Fairbanks has been literally asleep for the last few years, but since the advent of the experiment al station there the farmers have awakened to the fact that their soil is as good as any, and they are now reaping the rewards which they should have been reaping for a number of years. Experts may go into that section and tell the people what they need in their soils and all that; but I have made physical as well as chemical analyses df the soil around Fairbanks, and it is my opinion that all that is needed there is a liberal quantity of barnyard ma nure, plenty of leguminous crops turned under and some common sense methods which are inducive to good results. Now I do not mean that I am an expert on anything, and do not wish to be misun derstood. While in Chicago I made these tests and am thoroughly con vinced that my tests were correct as they were graded by the professor as practice work and I was given credit for them. If the farmers would pay a little more attention to their soils and take a little time to'^nake some pot experiments they will see for themselves just what they have, and can form definite opinions as to all that they need to build up the soil. I am thoroughly convinced that if the farmers of that section of the county would plant more legumes and apply more barnyard manure to the soil that they could readily build it up and make it highly productive. This is the history of the sandy loam soils. It is not necessary for a farmer to become throughly conversant with the original terms and know all of the scientific terms and have a degree attached to his name to know the fundamentals of farming, and the average man can read a little and use his head a little and produce crops equal to any. A little more common sense and its application is needed here in the south. I have digressed considerably from the subject of this article; but I think that I am justifiable in so doing. The soil and its physipal texttire has a great deal more to do with the production of crops than the average farmer thinks. It seems to be a prevalent idea that all that is needed is a li-oerai applica tion of commercial fertilizer to produce bumper crops of any kind; out this is not inducive to permanent fertility ana in the course of time the soil will be come almost barren for the want of humus-forming materials. There is such a thin£ as getting too much coarse vegetation under the soli and making the soil so porous as to allow the too rapid evaporation of the soil water due to the open nature of the soil; but I do not think that our soils will get this way for a number of years. The practice here seems to be to gather up all the corn stalks and burn them rathe r than run oVer them with a stalK cutter or disc and then turn them under. We will have to relegate the antebel lum practice to the farmers who do not care whether they “make goocf' or not, and discontinue its use in a civilized country which needs more agriculture in its true sense. My advice to any farmer Is to plant more legumes, turn more vegetable mat ter under, to apply more barnyard ma nure to the soil and to “use his noodle” a little more in handling his farm. Then will we see the fields of this state pro ducing crops which worna seem a dream to the farmers of the north who claim that they have the best soils in the country. All of us know that Texas has the best soils, the best, farmers and the best conditions under which to pro duce any class of products. Let us be gin to use more common sense ideas and build U" 4ur soils instead of wear ing them id Gradually. THEN SURRENDERS SELF BACK FROM EUROPE THE COTTON PARMER'S POINT OF VIEW, WHERE HE'S WRONG Their Conclusions Probably Be Reflected in New Currency Legislation BY RALPH SMITH. WASHINGTON, July 28.—The return to the United States from Europe yes terday of the members of the joint com mission on rural credits, followed by the arrival in Washington today of many members of the commission, has revived interest in the question of farm credits. It is not improbable that! the investigations of the commission! abroad and some of its conclusions wil! f be reflected in the currency legislation now being framed in congress. It is accepted as certain that the report of the commission will prove invaluable in the consideration of rural credits. The joint commission on rural cred its had its inception with the Southern Commercial congress, and Senator Fletcher, president of that organization, met the commission upon its return Friday. He was the chairman of the commission, but at the request of Pres ident Wilson remained on the job in Washington, while the commission tour ed Europe. The commission was com posed of two delegates from each state, and seven distinguished gentlemen who were appointed by the president. Harvey Jordan, of Atlanta, who was a member of the president’s commis sion, passed through Washington today en route to his home. He was accom panied by Miss Jordan, who went abroad with him. “I am pleased beyond expectations with the work of the commission,” said Senator Fletcher today upon his return from New York, where as chairman he received first-hand reports of the in vestigations and study in Europe. “I think the Southern Commercial con gress deserves great credit for originat ing the inquiry, and pushing it to so successful a conclusion. Great good to the farmers of the nation will re sult, and I expect that the United States congress will be enabled to leg islate intelligently on the subject of farm credits as a result of the great mass of information gathered by this commission in foreign lands, where ru ral credits have been tried. The indications are that the commission will make recommendations looking to both state and national legislation, and it is possible that some of the conclu sions reached by the commission will be incorporated in pending currency legislation. If a complete system of rural credits is determined upon, that will come later in the form of a square bill.” DISCOVERS AN ALARMING SHORTAGE OF TORPEDOES There is nothing better to protect a fill than a good Bermuda sod. There is some objection to laying such a sod at this season of the year, for very hard freezes during the winter may kill out a considerable part of it. If the soil is laid now it should be well tamped and as closely joined together as possible. It would also be well to give it a good coating of well-rotted yard manure. This affords a good deal of protection from the freezes and supplies enrich ment which will result in a vigorous growth of the sod early in the spring We have tried various sorts of, tame grasses for lawns and for sodding, but have found nothing so tough and dense and which forms so fine a turf as the Bermuda for this climate. The amount you could afford to sod an acre and a half for would depend entirely on the distance you would have to haul the god and also the nature of the land to be sodded. If it is a level and unob structed area and the sod Is close by, you can afford to do the work for $200 and leave yourself a fair margin of profit. If you should have to haul the sod as much as a mile ,and pay your laborers from $1 to $1.50 a day—and there is much hand work to be done, as sodding around trees and on banks—it is doubtful if you could do it for the sum indicated and make any money out of the job. as an acre and a half is* a large area to sod. Jim Shellnut Is Slain After Dispute Over Son Attending -Family Reunion. FRANKLIN, Ga., July 28.—Jim Shell- ut, a farmer living seven miles north of here, was shot and instantly killed by a son late this afternoon following an argument in a blacksmith shop as to whether or not the boy should at tend a family reunion. According to reports from the scene of the tragedy the father became anger ed at the boy’s determination to carry his point and threatened him with a pistal. The son cook flight and sought refuge with other members of the fam ily. Shellnut, it is reported, followed and chased all of them around the house several times. The boy finally succeed ed in getting into the house where he procured a shotgun. He then went to a window and emptied both barrels of the gun into his father, killing him in stantly. Young Shellnut then.went to Frank lin and surrendered and is now incarcer ated in the Heard county jail. Congressman Britten Declares There Are Only 700 in the United States (By Associated Press.) WASHINGTON, July 28.—Discovery that the torpedo boat flotillas, in case of war, would be practically useless after they had discharged 700 torpedoes, has aroused Representative Britten, of Illinois, Republican member of the house naval affairs committee. That number of torpedoes, according to Mr. Britten, is the sole stock on hand in the United States navy, and the two fac tories whch manufacture the death dealing engines can turn out only a limited number each year. Mr. Britten today announced his in tention of introducing a bill appropriat ing $400,000 to double the capacity of the naval torpedo plant at Newport, Rhode Island. The Illinois member recently has re turned from a tour of inspection of the Atlantic coast navy yards, taken with his fellow members of the house com mittee. He declared that of the stock of 700 torpedoes many are not new and that their replacement would be a serious problem in war time because of the limited capacity of the two pro ducing plants, one of which is a private concern. The navy’s torpedo plant at Newport, Mr. Britten said he discovered, has a capacity of only 100 torpedoes a year. The private corporation, under pressure, is capable of turning out* twice that number per annum. He pointed out that any depletion of the existing stocK would necessitate high pressure work by both plants to provide even a lim ited number of torpedoes for the small craft and for the torpedo tubes of the battleships and cruisers. War Veteran Dies; In Just 41 Hours Wife Follows Him CULLODEN, Ga., July 28.—J. M. Wil son, one of Monroe county’s oldest and most beloved citizens, passed away at his home in Culloden on July 21, at 11 p. m. He gave four years to the cause of the sefuth, enlisting at the age of sixteen. From then up to his afflic tion, two years ago, he was a successful planter of this county. Just forty-one hours after his death, his devoted wife for forty-five years fol lowed him into the great beyond. Both had reached the age of sixty- eight years, he being just a few days older. Both bodies were laid to rest in tfie family burial ground at Culloden. Besides a number of friends and rel atives, Mr. and Mrs. Wilson are sur vived by seven children: Mrs. M. W. Sanders, Misses M. E. and Katie J., M. P. and W. R. Wilson, of Culloden; E. J. Wilson, of Atlanta, and A. S. Wilson, of Covington, Ga. FORMER PRESIDENT OF PERU IS UNDER ARREST (By Associated Press.) LIMA, Peru, July 28.—Auguste Ligua, frmer president of Peru, and his son were arrested today as a sequel to riot last night during which six persons were wounded by shots fired from win dows and the roof of the Ligua resi dence. The crowd had threatened to attack the house. A eoiltm planter who grew ever 200 'acres of oats this year and made an average yield of fortyrtwo bushels to the aore, remarked to the writer re cently that ‘‘It is not practicable to grow so large an area in oats as this on a cotton plantation, oecause the cot ton demands th© attention of all men and mules at the time the oats must be harvested.” This is the usual viewpoint of the large cotton planter. Anything that in terferes with the cultivation of the larg est possible area that his tenants and teams can cultivate in cotton must give way. From the cotton planter’s position, It is the correct way of looking at the problem and any of these large cotton planters can give you the figures to prove the soundness of their contention. They can show by figures that won’t lie that cotton is the best crop and that the more acres they plant the larger their profits. That they prove their position on pa per cannot be denied, but do the results of fifty years of that kind of farming support their arguments? In individual cases, there is little doubt but they can show that a man can produce more dollars in receipts from cotton than from oats, corn, or other crops suited to this section, and for any one year, or possibly for any period as short as five years, they can show that they can better afford to grow cotton than to grow corn and oats which interfere with the growing of cotton. But after all the arguments and facts are considered and given their full value and proper relationships, we still be lieve their contention is unsound. The success of any system of farming can not be judged by the crops or the net earnings for one year or for five years. The test which the cotton planter usu ally applies—the money obtained for the present crop or year—is not half a true test. Any system of farming which decreases the producing powers of the land is a failure, no matter what the profits may be for any one year; but even from the standard of money alone no one-crop system of farming has ever proved profitable for a period of twen ty or more years. Moreover, in the figures which the cotton planter uses to prove that he can better afford to grow cotton with Which to buy corn and oats than to grow these if they lessen the acres to be planted in cotton, the cotton planter unwittingly deceives himself as to the source of his profits.- If a bale of cot ton Is grown, the land owner can buy it from the negro tenants for one, two or three cents a pound less than it is really worth. Not that he does this with the intent of cheating the tenant, but he must make himself safe and makes certain to pay such a price as will insure him against the possibility of loss. Again, if oats, corn and hay are grown 'they are consumed on the place, whereas, if they are bought they can be charged to th e tenant at a price which will pay good interest on the investment and a little more for insur ance against loss. In the cotton planter’s calculations these considerations are, of course, Ig nored and while he usually places the yields of oats and corn at about the correct average, in estimating the yield of cotton he puts it far above that ob tained except on a few choice acres, i For instance, these cotton planters will j tell you that they grow three-fourths' of a bale per acre; but on an Average! on the plantation as a whole, they do,' not grow a half bale per acre. Even the famous Yazoo Delta averages less than a half bale of cotton to the acre,, and so will any other section that I sticks to cotton to the exclusion of all other crops for a series of twenty-five years or more, unless it does better farming and uses more fertilizers than i we have yet learned to do. Land that will grow forty bushels of! oats per acre, followed by soy beans or cowpeas, will make as large net' profits from the sale of these crops asj it will make from cotton, if cultivated in cotton year after year. And wherein these crops and corn used in a rotation surpass any one-crop system, lies in the fact that the fertility of the soil may be, and generally is, maintained if not increased, while with cotton to the exclusion of other crops, the fertility decreases. That oats Interfere with cotton cul tivation is no more to be set down against oats than against cotton. The trouble lies in the fact that we have failed to obtain anything like a true idea of correct farm management or a correct cropping system. When any one crop occupies more than one-third the cultivated land, soil fertility is not generally maintained nor is there an' economical distribution of the labor throughout the year for men and teams,! the two most expensive items^ in the production of farm crops. Our friend was right. It is not prac-' ticable to grow a large area of oats! on a plantation where the cotton crop occupies so large a proportion of the land that it requires all the farm force to cultivate it, hut the fault is not with the oat crop but rather with the cropping system, and our average yields, of less than 200 pounds of lint cotton' per acre prove It. FIRST MOTHERS’ PENSIONS IN STATE OF WASHINGTON (By Associated Press.) SEATTLE. 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