. Diversified farming in the cotton belt. Agriculture; Crop rotation. 44 SWEET CLOVES FERTILIZES THE LAND Unnumbered acres of hill land in the Cotton Belt are making less than one- third bale of cotton per acre and at the same time making poverty for those tilling them. The cost of commercial fertilizer applied annually is appalling. The Razor-back terraces, covered with weeds, grass and briars, and the circled and short rows prevent the use of labor-saving implements. Millions of acres of poor hillside land now producing less than one-third bales of cotton per acre should be plowed deep, well
. Diversified farming in the cotton belt. Agriculture; Crop rotation. 44 SWEET CLOVES FERTILIZES THE LAND Unnumbered acres of hill land in the Cotton Belt are making less than one- third bale of cotton per acre and at the same time making poverty for those tilling them. The cost of commercial fertilizer applied annually is appalling. The Razor-back terraces, covered with weeds, grass and briars, and the circled and short rows prevent the use of labor-saving implements. Millions of acres of poor hillside land now producing less than one-third bales of cotton per acre should be plowed deep, well fertilized with acid phos- phate and some nitrogen and some potash, when needed, and planted in sum- mer and winter legumes for, say two years, and then sodded in Bermuda grass, lespedeza, crimson and burr clovers. Only by this method and stock raising can our worn out gullied cotton lands be restored to fertility and only in this way can the people of our Southland become prosperous and contented. More Grass and Less Cotton We have worn out our lands in the quickest possible time by growing cot- ton, and rigidly excluding grasses, leguminous crops and live stock. We have. Calves make better farms depleted the soil of vegetable matter and it has washed away. This poor soil means a poor people, and the poor people means bad roads, uncomfortable homes, poorly equipped farms, very little education, the credit system, and all that retards civilization. The last census shows that our population increased 21 % in the preced- ing decade, while our meat producing animals decreased more than 10%. We are facing a very serious situation. The meat-producing animals must be grown on the farm. The farmers will not long continue to grow stock at a loss. The conditions must be such that stock raising is profitable, or the farmers will sooner or later go out of the business entirely. The Cotton Belt has an overwhelming advantage over every other section in live stock raising. We have great cli
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectagriculture, bookyear
