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BULLETIN NO. 33 1917
Twelve Ways to Meet the
New Economic
Conditions Here in
the South
By
G. W. CARVER, M. S. Agr.,
Director
EXPERIMENT STATION
TUSKEGEE NORMAL AND INDUSTRIAL
INSTITUTE
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TWELVE WAYS TO MEET THE NEW
ECONOMIC CONDITIONS HERE
IN THE SOUTH
By G. W; CARVER
It needs but little or no discussion to convince/ us that we are on the
beginning of the most perplexing, most interesting, and the most , im¬
portant period of our lives.
We are confronted with new economic conditions; the problems of
last year are not the problems of this year; yea, the problems of yes¬
terday are greatly overshadowed by the problems of today; and even
the wisest heads are slow even to conjecture what will be the result,
and where coming events will cast their shadows.
However, we are very conscious of the following questions, which
stand up before us demanding an answer:
QUESTION—1
What shall I do with the boll weevil? In all probability it is here
to stay.
Answer—Yes, the weevil is here, but our experiments prove that
it may be controlled as follows:
(a) Prepare all land good and deep with a two-horse plow.
(b) Fertilize well.
(c) Plant an early variety of seed.
(d) Make rows a foot wider than is customary, and give the plants
twice the distance in the drill.
(e) Stir the ground often to keep the cotton growing.
(f) Pick up squares and pick off weevils until the bottom and mid¬
dle crops are made. Then stop picking off weevil. This will be about
the middle of July or the first of August in this locality.
(g) Pick as fast as it opens.
(h) When through gathering the bottom and middle crops, destroy
the stalks at once, and sow the field in a grain crop, such as oats, r\ e,
wheat, barley, etc; and if for hay only, mix one-fourth of hairy veteh
seed to three-fourths of any one of the above grains.
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(i) Clean off and burn all the rubbish from ditch banks, fence
corners, and waste places, as the old weevils hide in these places and
winter over.
(j) Encourage your neighbors to do the same. In this way the
weevil will be reduced to starvation; so much so that the problem of
control will be easy.
QUESTION—2
What shall we do for fertilizer? Potash is so high that it is
out of the question, nitrate of soda but little better, and cotton
seed selling for $64.00 pe'r ton; so the meal will be both scarce and
too costly to use as fertilizer.
Answer—There are many thousands of tons of the finest fertil¬
izers going to waste all over the South. in the form of decaying leaves
of the forest and the rich sediment of the swamp, known as muck.
Every idle moment from now until planting time should be put in
gathering up these fertilizers. Make the mixture (compost) as
follows:
(a) Build pen to hold as much as you wish.
(b) Spread two wagon-loads of muck and leaves over the bottom
of the pen; then one load of barnyard manure; build up in this way
until the pen is full.
(c) Put a rou,gh shed over it sufficient to turn the bulk of water
from heavy rains, or mound up like a potato hill. This is to prevent
the excess of water from washing out the fertilizing constituents.
(d) Put into this compost-heap all the wood ashes, old plaster,
waste lime, rags, paper, or any matter that will decay quickly. Bones
beaten up fine are also excellent. If jou cannot get the barnyard
manure make the compost without it. You will be agreeably surprised
at the increased yield of crops of all kinds.'
(e) Break land deep (8 to 9 inches) and thorough; lay off rows
with a middle-burster or two-horse plow; put compost in drill at the
rate of 20 tons to the acre on medium land, and 25 tons to the acre
on very poor land; plant directly on the fertilizer; cultivate in the
usual manner.
Results—The Experiment Station has had no commercial fertil¬
izer put upon it for 12 years—nothing but the above compost and the
proper rotation of crops. This year, 282 pounds of lint cotton, 45 bush¬
els of corn, and 215 bushels of sweet potatoes were raised per acre.
QUESTION—3
Should the farmer keep a cow?
Answer—Yes, every farmer should keep one or two good cows; a
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good cow is half of any family's living, as she will furnish all the
butter, milk, cream, etc., that the ordinary family can use, and if prop¬
erly cared for a surplus can be had to sell. There are a number of
foods that are more palatable, more healthy, and more economical
when seasoned with milk and butter than when seasoned with lard or
any other kind of shortening. Good bread, rich milk, and nice butter
furnish almost a complete balanced ration.
. QUESTION—4
Should a farmer raise chickens?
Answer—Yes, by all means every farmer should start with 12 good
hens and one roosler. With a little care they will furnish all the eggs
needed in the family, some meat, and a surplus at times to exchange
for clothing and other necessities. A few guineas, ducks, turkeys, and
a pair or two of geese will bring in much pleasure and profit at prac¬
tically no cash outlay.
QUESTION—5
Should a farmer haye a garden?
Answer—Yes, nothing will pay him better. It is one of the great¬
est money-makers on the farm. It makes money in two principal
ways.
(a) It furnishes a great variety of foodstuff, which is absolutely
essential to good health and the proper strength of both mind and
bcdy. If we eat plenty of good, well-cooked vegetables every day,
all other things being equal, we can do more work and better work
than if we did not. We shall not get so tired, weary, and have to
consult the doctor so often, and pay out such heavy doctor bills.
(b) In the garden there should always be a surplus of something
to sell, especially of beans, peas, melons, onions, white and sweet
potatoes, tomatoes, cabbage, tvrnips, rutabagas, rape, pumpkins, beets,
squash, e.c., etc. The garden should furnish many things for can¬
ning, pickling, and preserving.
QUESTION—6
Should a farmer try to raise fruit?
Answer—Yes, fruit is an absolute necessity in the diet. No person
can remain strong and vigorous in mind and body very long who
neglects to make fruit of some kind a part of the daily diet. Every
farmer should have a few peach, pear, plum, fig, and apple trees on
his place; also grape vines, strawberries, etc. A few trees and bushes
well cared for will furnish sufficient fruit for the needs of the family.
Nut trees such as pecans, walnuts, chestnuts, hickory nuts, etc., are
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fine shade trees, and the nuts are becoming more and more a part of
the diet, taking the place of meat.
QUESTION—7
Should a farmer raise hogs?
Answer—Yes, for the following reasons:
(a) No other animal converts into meat so mu^h foodstuff that
would otherwise go> to waste.
(b) They will furnish us all of our meat, lard, and the many other
choice dainties that no other meat is so popular in supplying.
(c) There is a great demand for hogs at all times; the demand is
always greater than the supply. They are sure mortgage lifters, and
will pay any farmer out of debt if he will give them a chance.
(d) Hogs are easily raised; they will eat and thrive on weeds,
nuts, and fruits of most any kind. These, however, are especially
good: wild primrose, smooth and thorny careless weeds (pi,g weeds),
purslane (pusley), wild plums, acorns, beechnuts, nutgrass, etc.
The following choice foods can be easily grown: Sweet potatoes,
sorghum millet, corn, peanuts, velvet beans, rape, collards, cabbage,
turnips, beets, pumpkins, cow peas, soja beans, Bermuda grass;
also wheat, rye, oats, burr and crimson clover for winter pasture.
QUESTION—8
Should a farmer try to raise stock?
Ansvjer—Yes, every bit that he possibly can. In addition to
those mentioned he should have mares that would bring colts every
year. With proper care they will do all the farm work and raise
the colts too. A few sheep, goats, or an extra cow or two will turn
a ,great deal of roughage into meat, and at the same time make much
valuable fertilizer for the land.
QUESTION—9
Since the coming of the boll wedvil, what is the farmer going to do
for a money crop?
Answer—There are several crops, if wisely handled, from which
the farmer can realize more money than from cotton; viz., corn,
velvet beans, peanuts, sweet potatoes, and cow peas. If a paying
market cannot be had for the raw product, they should be fed to
stock, and turned into milk, meat, butter, eggs, lard, etc. There are
but few, if any, better stockraising countries than ours. If the man¬
ure from these animals is carefully saved and returned to the land,
practically all our fertilizer questions will be settled and our land
will respond almost or quite equal to virgin soil.
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QUESTION—10
Should a renter or share-cropper attempt to carry out the above
suggestions?
Answer—Yes, just as far as possible; he should set out trees,
clean off ditch banks, make such repairs as he can, and in every
way strive to leave the place! in better condition than when he took
possession. It will mean money in your pockets, aside from the great
value of forming correct habits of living.
QUESTION—11
Will it pay a farmer to take an agricultural paper?
Answer—Yes, it is a necessity. He should not only take one or two
good agricultural papers, but others as well. He must study mark¬
ets, crops, weather,, supply and demand, and a host of other things
which affect him and his business. It is just as important to the
farmer as to the merchant. In fact, it is the only way that either can
keep abreast of the times.
QUESTION—12
Should the farmer attempt to have a pretty door-yard with flowers?
Answer—Yes, by all means, for the reasons which follow:
(a) They are another form of God's silent messengers, and the
"sweetest things He ever made and forgot to put a soul into."
(b) They are soothing and restful to the tired body and brain.
(c) We often send for the doctor, and take a lot of strong, dis¬
agreeable medicine when all we need is a bunch of beautiful flowers
from loving hands.
(d) A love of flowers denote refinement and culture.
(e) Pretty dooryards and charming surroundings increase the value
of property, and encourage the very best class of people to become
our neighbors.
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