Newspapers / The Progressive Farmer (Raleigh, … / March 18, 1916, edition 1 / Page 3
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ran Trrrin 1 1 I I . 1 - . . - Vol. XXXI No. 12. SATURDAY, MARCH, 18, 1916. $1 a Year, 5c a Copy fTimely-Farm-Suggestions: . - - By TATT BUTLER .. a question can be answered in a way that the-pf ice of cotton will not be to fit the average farm and farmer. . much lower if we grow above 15,000,--In so farasJ know, there are no data 000. bales, oriLwe.even growas.much gathered from or based on Southern as 14,000,000 bales. conditions which will enable anyone The fight against a large acreage in, to say what is the best size of farm cotton has always been' made on -a ,v r mnrp Different Grades Of Lime sandy soils, but if the season is wet JPr southern crops and conditions, wrong basis. It was not so much the tompaic - - - thoro i Jin, f wo t-. But basing an ooinion on data relat- fierht acainst cotton in 1915 that re. Oy uie nwujm . leadline if all is nut out at nlantino- mg.to other conditions and sections, duced the acreage as the very lov low it is perhaps safe to state that for price received for the 1914 crop, mixed or general farming of the saf- When we make the fight against too est and best type the farm should not large an acreage in cotton on an in- be smaller than 150 to 200 acres of telligent grasp and understanding of improved land, and probably not soil fertility it will be much more ef- larger than 400 or 500 acres, fective. Cotton on more than one- The American farmer, while only third of the cultivated lands of the producing about one-half as much Cotton Belt means poor soils, and . .. - .. a . 1 i r i .t 1 j ed lime." All that can oe toia mm is Sulphate of ammonia has. on some wc v larger janas anu uic puur suns mean puur peopie ana a that ovster sneii nmc, ji wch.uuihcu, mancets, furnished nitrogen -cheat)- v,'v - "0,;W1 ittwi-Bviu6 - iuvmu- wuhhj, o tS4iuij is usually ot a mgn graae oi puruy; est this year.. Cottonseed meal is 4 . m m rf-M a M ftAVMIM H A H Al-- a 11 T1 l 4 4 - OUR readers arc gui icmuiusu ..wmcp wnen cottonseea meal is usea that we cannot give an opinion .it may be put out at or before plant on the relative values of different ing. In addition to the nitrogen, cot kinds or brands of lime without tonseed meal contains 2.8 per cent of knowing the analysis or the degree of phosphoric acid and 1.8 per cent of purity. ,' 1 potash, the value of which should be A reader wants to know how "oy- deducted in calculating the cost of Ster sneii muc v-umpa.! v j wui-ruuii 3nicimrugcn. at less cost. HOW BIG A FARM? but we can tell him nothing . about cheaper in some markets than two how it compares witn any given sam- months ago, but either nitrate of pie of burned rock lime. The purity soda or sulphate of ammonia will of rock lime varies. It may or may probably supply a pound of nitrogen not be equal to oyster sneii nme. Why is it that it is so difficult to make it understood that all lime is not of the same degree of purity and, hence, not all of the same value? To ask which of two samples of lime, or which of two samples of ground lime stone, is cheaper without stating the analyses, or indicating the degree of purity, is like asking the size of an ear of corn. Buy lime on its analysis, The Size of the Man and the. Kind of Farming Are Important Factors to Consider WHAT size should the farm be to produce the best returns?" This question is often asked, but ery earned much more per man than of the fluctuations in the price of any the European farmer. If the farm is farm product. large enough to use three or more We cannot build up and maintain work animals and to afford labor for soil fertility without an intelligent too, three or more men, and the acre- cropping system, planned with a full age in crops is large enough to justify knowledge and understanding of soil the purchase of the best or most effi- fertility and its requirements, cient machinery, the earnings will be r The farmer has just as good right larger. In general farming it requires and about the same inclination to at least 200 to 300 acres to supply gamble on-cotton as has the business those conditions. Intensive farming man or the cotton buyer; but if once may and generally does produce more made to see that there is no "gam- per acre; but extensive farming, up ble" in it, but a downright certainty to a certain limit at least, brings that his soils will remain poor so larger returns-per man. long as he plants more than one-third the land in any one crop, then he will snd if vou do not understand this 'one mieht about as well ask the size THIC WAR'S mTTAW kCDViaV. be inclined to plant those crops which analysis send it to us and we will be of an ear of corn or an Irish potato. . will enable him to improve his yields, anu inai may inciaeniaiiy ue usea xo supply the food and feed needs of the farm. The trouble with the basis on which the fight on cotton has been made is iiat any,. man can Jtake a pencil and giaa to neip you y uui it is useless i 10 i u-ui inu g, uc( wpi The Present Outlook Is for an In ask us for an opinion regarding dif- available and especially the size of. create Though It -Is Practically iereni baixipics ux nine umcaa jruu uiau-miu uuagu u a mr CerJ Tl.t Anv ConMeraM In. send the analyses. portant factors which influence the answer to this question. The first . nnint tr hp rlearlv sp.t forth is just what is meant by the A READER asks my opinion as to piece of paper and show that with "farm." In some cases 1,000 acres js the "acreage that will be planted cotton at a good price he can make regarded as a "farm", when as a mat- to cotton in 1916." more- money than in growing other ter of fact there are 20 to 40 distinct I have no means of knowing what crops, and he is willing to gamble on units, or in , reality 20 to 40 small the acreage will be, nor has anyone the price. But there is no gamble on farms, which are generally accepted else, for that matter, at this time; the question of soil fertility. It is as making up one large farm. but from a study of what has been as certain as night follows day that If the question refers to the farm done in, past years, nr increasing or poor sous ionow any one crop sys- crease Will Mean Low Prices and Financial Disaster Buying Feed for Hogs CORRESPONDENT, who has a sow and six pigs and seven shoats, and must buy alt' feed, except four barrels of slops a week, asks whether it will pay to keep these pigs and buy feed, or sell them. Y Of course, we cannot 'answer this question in a way that will be of any . n h numher of thtse decreasing the acreage" in accord with tern, and our 185 pounds of lint cotton that mav he erouned under one man- the once of cotton, I make the guess and 18 bushels ot corn per acre are agement, then the answer depends on that we will in 1916 plant about as the kind of farming, the available many acres as in 1914, which was less capital for financing the farming op- than the acreage of 1913. This does erations and the ability of the farm- not mean that the cotton crop of 1916 er: but if it -refers to the number of will equal that of 1914; but it does farm units, or the number of Negro mean that such is quite possible. We definite value, for the two most im portant factors in determining re sults are unknown to us. These two are the man and the pigs. At the present price of corn and tankage as compared with hogs, we believe that having four barrels of slops a week it is possible to make the, feeding of these pigs profitable and buy all the feed required over and above the four barrels of slops. If the man isfa good feeder, that is, if the pigs are properly led and cared for and are of fairly the proofs in our particular case. Gut the Cost of Production by Better Farm Management families which can be looked after by one man, then the size is only limited by the activities and ability of the manager. If the acreage or the farm unit be tronr nun lit to v "ioli a L,.f in J the implements and machinery neces- ton so the acreage, l see no gooa or twin 1 tV f k Pounds of gain. v d economical and efficient .sufficient reason why it should-not H v I" I ' ab-Ut 5 Pa-iQf Un work will be too great, and yet with- also be true this year. In the past, age by weight js mixed with 8 parts V? n( .whtr W nric for cotton has re- THE business of farming, especially made, a large . reduction in 1915, but J- in the South, has not been con not much, if any, larger than was ducted on the same basis on which made once before as a result of five- other, business enterprises are con cent cotton.' ducted. In fact, only recently has a The records of" production and careful study been made of farm too smalL the expense per acre for prices show that, as the price of cot- management, and even yet we are lacKing tne tacts regaraing aoutnern farming which would enable one to lay down rutes by which the manage ment of any particular farm might be i, ..or.ot rtKta?tliP Kictfinan- dticed the acreage the orice has gone directed. But certain facts are rea- ic iouu i-ouiivi. ww-i.w " . . .... ii I ii i . j 1 u cial results. For instance a man with up, and when this increase in acreage sonably well established and should 40 acres, on which only 5 to 10 acres has continued from one to three receive more serious attention, of small' grains are grown, cannot af- jears the price has invariably gone For instance, not less than three ford'to own a binder, and yet there is down. We decreased the acreage last horses or mules can do some kinds of no question but the binder is neces- year, and the smaller crop, together farm work efficiently and economi- sary to the most economical harvest- with the demand occasioned by the cally. This is well understood and ing of these crops. This same princi- war, put up the price. When we have pretty generally accepted, and yet pie applies as to all equipment of receiveda good price for one crop most farm units in the South consist laro-e cost and limited use. For a we have nearly always increased the - of one horse or mule, or, at most, of hp - cimiiU -..Li ."j i ii (fnrA tiili- arrfape the next vear. two small horses or mules, bven our , nitrate of soda, or sulphate of am- priced implements that an only be It is doubtful if we shall entirely large farms many of them at least, monia to supply nitrogen for cotton." used for a few days out of each year, forget the lessons ,qf 1914-1915, but are to all intents and purposes 20 to There is not much difference in the no matter how efficient these imple- there is a regular or usual increase m 40-acre farms with one or at most value of a. pound of nitrogen from ments may be in accomplishing work, the acreage averaging between 3 and two inefficient horses or mules. . anv of tw- ii f. it. ua o fo, f-mnrp- npr rent. From 1905 to 1913 the in- The same sort of a fact has been 'c sumtcs. - ii is, inere- vju iuc uiu uauu, a iaiw - t If the pigs will pay for the slops and tankasre and in addition 10 pounds of gain, live weight, for every bushel of corn consumed, and they should do better than that, there will be some profit in feedirlg the pigs at present. prices. Cheapest Source of Nitrogen A READER wishes to know whether frc, largely a question of -the guar- than 300 acres, of possibly of more crease was nearly 27 per cent. .If. we pretty well established that not less :i"tced content of nitrogen in each than 500 acres at the most, is gener- plant no more in 1916 than we-plant- than two men can do efficient, eco- lthe prices at which they can be ally too large for the best results: ed in 1914, we have at least avoided nomical work on a farm because hought. A tu. ...... rru tot pt is tno anv increase since 1913, which under some kinds of work cannot be done t,0,n has not been furnished and' the much for one manager -to look after normal conditions would probably to the best advantage by one man Pnces will vary in different sections well, if a good type of farming is done, have been around 4 per cent a year, or We have given almost no attenti we cannot crL aiA . -ra.:,;! fmm tTi. Antral between 10 and 12 oer cent for the to the most economical use of m un - ri - a uciiiiiit? answer, hi t 111c uisiaiivkg ... . . . 'in nitratA f J- ion man ,r ,Bir, ri nnlnt nr from the farm buildings, or three years, which will mean a con- and horse labor on our farms, and yet jmnioma, or a combination of the from the most distant parts of the siderably larger acreage in feed or these constitute the two greatest Wo' used for supplying nitrogen farm, are so great that much time is other crops than. we had I in 1914. items of expense in the production of u! c?tton, possibly a small amount lost in going to and from work and in But if we go back to the acreage of crops. Until we give more attention Yd be Pt in at planTine and the hauling crops or products.. 1913 and. 1914, it will probably mean ttf reducing the cost of production by f nee used as a side-dr -eHing after It sVnlyy arefully studying the disaster from low-priced cotton. The a. study of, farm management profits he cotton has been chopped out and earnings of a large number of farms prices of feedstuffs. are certain to be will be small, no matter wha the wm to makP 55? il?. f""i"?L and to the in- hirii. and there is positively no such market and marketing .conditions comes of the farm workers, that sucn evidence io jusiuy us -.iu ucucviuk uwww..... 1 )ss,bly not necessary except on s ' V I - ';( '.Vt't ' r. X i ' ' .'1 t .. -
The Progressive Farmer (Raleigh, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
March 18, 1916, edition 1
3
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