"My horse died and I had to get another horse on credit to work the land with. Made good crops, lived economically, plain clothing and no luxuries—doing without many neces sities. In fall 1912 my creditors did not give me time to gather all my cotton to pay as far as I could, but the re mainder of my cotton was levied on in the field, and also my corn and potatoes were levied on and sold by the sheriff. Having lost all my eatables, the purchaser felt sorry and gave me back the sweet potatoes." Three cases of cotton farmers came from the Coastal Plains of Georgia. All are fairly well-to-do and above the average small owners. The first attempts diversified farming, the second has lived off the sales of timber, the third has a long-time farm loan: 1. Owns 200 acres of land, paid for and owes no money, and does not borrow or buy on credit. Runs three plows; has eight children. Hires no labor, but works children as laborers in fields. Dresses himself and children in only ordi nary common clothing, and has the necessities of life. Makes an average of twenty-five bales of cotton a year.
"I live at home; I buy clothing, shoes, flour, coffee, sugar and fertilizer for which I pay cash. I am a diversified farmer as taught by the newspapers. I have not had any providential misfortune. I want to make some money and have tried, but cannot do so growing cotton. I am sore on cotton farming, as it is impossible to be a thrifty citizen and grow cotton. There is no wage in it. You cannot grow cotton to profit by hiring your labor, and where a man does not work his chil dren from six years of age up in the field, he cannot come out of debt and also have the necessities of life. He could not do it if his life depended upon it." 20 2. Runs two plows. Works only himself and children. Is a diversified farmer, growing all his eatables at home except flour and sugar. His labor is done by himself and three sons. One son is of age and will farm for himself during this year, 1913.
"I give my average income and expense for ten years and show how I stand: "My expenses for a family of seven: clothing, $100.00. Flour, sugar, coffee and other necessities, $100.00. Swapped old stock for younger average per year, $30.00. Improve ments, building, fences, etc., $100.00. For church and school purposes, $70.00. Insurance Premiums $63.62. Fertilizer $100. Labor $75.00. New Tools average $50.00.
"Make from 8 to 14 bags of cotton and handle from $500.00 to $700.00 per year. Average outlay above $738.62. I keep books. Here they are.
"You ask how can one pay out more than was taken in. I will explain: I sold my timber to make the improvements with the $100.00 item mentioned and this winter bor rowed from N. Y. Life Insurance Co., $125.00 on my policy.
I paid my twenty-one-year-old boy $75.00 and my bank ac count is now $10. You see in the past, I had money in the bank at times of from $100.00 to $500.00 from the sale of my timber. That is spent living at home economically, pro viding ordinary clothing and doing without what was wanted except necessary things; have not kept even growing cotton. People can talk and theorize, but I have been and am going to mill. I owe no money and have no interest to pay. I can borrow money from the bank or buy on credit. I have grown cotton in the past to buy those things that I do not grow or make, but after ten years of good management I am now compelled to grow cotton to pay my running expenses. I run behind to the tune of about 2 cents a pound on my cotton.
"We farmers will have to quit buying, or debts will get us and ours. What makes Georgia seem to be prosperous is that millions are loaned each year from long loan agencies for periods of five to ten years. If I had a long loan interest to pay I would have to give up right now. I could only af ford jeans for clothing and work barefooted. The long loans are procured by farmers to square up with. There is no money in growing cotton at 15 cents a pound and even at that price a farmer could only get the necessities of life, at a less cost he cannot. I would say that I am above the aver age farmer." 21 3. "I own my land, run four plows and work my children as laborers. We make an average of thirty bales of cotton a year. I borrowed from a long loan company to improve with. After paying taxes, fertilizer, clothing and shoes, I have no money left. When my five year loan fell due I had to borrow from another loan company to pay up with and had to borrow a little more this time to fill up the hole caused by trying to have part of the necessities of life. There is no money in growing cotton for me, but there is nothing else I can grow for market except stuff for a home market and this is limited. I have no money now and will have to borrow from the bank or get goods and supplies from a credit store." 22 Set off in contrast are the cases of farmers who have prospered amid the fluctuations of cotton by growing a diversity of food and forage crops with poultry and live stock. The advantage of diversification is shown by the case of (1) a Negro owner of a small farm in Ala bama, (2) two North Carolina small owners, (3) two contrasting cases from Arkansas, (4) two purchasers of cut-over timber lands from the same state, (5) cases from Mississippi of absentee and at home farming, (6) a large scale planter in Alabama, and (7) a scientific agriculturist in Mississippi.