STUDY OF FARMING IN SUMTER COUNTY, GEORGIA. 53 



man received were dependent upon the demands from local markets. 

 A return of $1 per bushel for corn, $1 per bushel for oats, ;m<l $23 

 per ton for hay is much more than these crops could command if 

 many more were to grow them for the same market. 



A farm representative of the cotton type was found which is quite 

 comparable, as to size and soil type, with the diversified farm just 

 mentioned. This farm contained 243 acres of crops, of which 62 per 

 cent was in cotton, 25 per cent in corn, 6 per cent in oats, 5 per cent in 

 cowpea hay, and 2 per cent in other crops. Yields were relatively 

 high. The farm sales were as follows: Cotton and seed, $8,700; corn, 

 $250; oats, $22; sirup, $50; pork, $225; wood, $400. It was operated 

 with the help of six wage hands and two croppers' families and $800 

 extra labor. It returned the operator a labor income of $4,344. This 

 farm represents a typical cotton farm of this region operated under 

 excellent management. Under its high state of efficiency the cost of 

 producing cotton was below 7 cents per pound. Cotton could be sold 

 from this farm with its present jdelds at 10 cents per pound and still 

 return the operator over $2,000 labor income. 



The fact that only one farmer in the entire area is practicing 

 strictly diversified farming is an indication that care should be exer- 

 cised in contemplating changes to this type. The cotton type of farm- 

 ing has been practiced for many years in this region and has doubt- 

 less become a much easier type of farming for most of these farmers 

 to follow than would a type involving a greater degree of diversity. 

 They have become skilled in the economic use of capital and labor for 

 the production of this crop and at the same time maintaining soil 

 fertility. The small amount of capital owned by many of these 

 farmers will go further when invested in one enterprise than when 

 distributed among many. This type has advantage also in that it per- 

 mits the use of very large fields, which greatly facilitates the use of the 

 great amount of labor involved in the operation of farms of this type. 



On the other hand, diversified farming gives better insurance 

 against total failure and will lend to the eradication of the crisis of 

 the boll weevil which is now invading the county. When properly 

 organized it gives opportunity to use land, labor, mules, and machin- 

 ery effectively throughout the year. The income is usually more 

 evenly distributed than that from cotton, thus making it easier for 

 the farmer to operate on a cash basis during the spring and summer 

 months, when money is needed for paying farm expenses. Failures 

 are often due to conditions over which the farmer has no control, 

 such as climate, markets, or pests. If a farmer is raising several 

 important crops they are not all liable to fail in any one year. 



This also lends itself to the establishment of a crop rotation. A 

 well-planned rotation designed for the improvement of the soil and 

 the increased production of the crops should be the aim of all these 

 farmers. This not only supplies ample farm feeds, but. more im- 



