CHAPTER II 

 AGRICULTURE IN THE SOUTH 



AGRICULTURE is the chief of southern industries, 

 and the South and Southwest are favored above many 

 other regions of the United States in agricultural conditions. 

 They have an excellent climate, long seasons, and, in most 

 regions, a naturally rich, productive soil. Almost every crop 

 that can be raised in the North will grow successfully in the 

 South, and many others besides. The South has no long 

 hard winters to close the soil to cultivation and enforce 

 idleness upon the farmers. 



Almost every class of farm animal thrives throughout 

 the South. Cattle, horses, hogs and poultry can be grown 

 more cheaply here than in northern regions, for forage is 

 available most of the year; warm and expensive barns 

 are not required. Nor must a large amount of feed be 

 stored against the long winter months, hence the profit on 

 live stock is greater. 



1. Diversified Farming in the South 



By diversified farming is meant the growing of a num- 

 ber of different crops instead of devoting practically the 

 whole farm to one crop, such as cotton. 



Tendency to one-crop system. Not only in the South 

 but in many regions of the North and West as well, there 

 has been a tendency to a one-crop system. Great areas 

 of the North have been devoted to corn or wheat, while 

 many new regions of the West raise wheat almost exclu- 



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