What problem was caused by southern farmers in the 1880s growing cotton and tobacco year after year?
a. river water became seriously polluted from the tobacco.
b. crops became smaller and lower in quality each year.
c. the quality of both improved as farmers became more skilled.
d. farmers became bored with the same old crops.

The correct answer is B. Crops became smaller and lower in quality each year.

Explanation:

During the 1880s the economy of the Southern states depended on agriculture, due to this farmers grew massively certain products such as cotton or tobacco and then sell to the Northern states and even taken to other continents. Additionally, as tobacco and cotton where the main products back them farmers and farmers had rather few knowledge about the importance of rotating crops, they cultivated either tobacco or cotton year after year, this model of agriculture  leads to a deterioration of the soil after some time and can even make fertile soils infertile as the crops are taking all the minerals from the soil all the time, which makes the crops became smaller and lower in quality each year because plants do not have the nutrients they require, situation that was experienced by the farmers of the 1880s who chose to cultivate only one crop all the time.