The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-08-23

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an intensive system Of culture, be
made self-supporting. The farmers of
your State must realize that every
pound of supplies which they purchase
in the open markets is produced by
entertainers in distant sections Of
the country who labor under greater
difficulties than those with which We
have to contend.
When Southern farms were self
sustaining open accounts were the
only evidences Of indebtedness, and
the farmers word was as good as gold.
Sharp, shrewd business men Of the
world soon saw that there we're for
tunes to be made in the cotton crop if
the farmer could be induced to pro-
duce it in large quantities.
The Western people saw an oppor-
tunity for building granarics and
packing houses to supply the South
with food if we could be induced to
turn our attention entirely to growing
cotton. The big railroad maguates
saw the grand opportunity to increase
dividends, multiply their rolling stock
and otherwise fatten on the freights
to be obtained by transporting heavy
and costly supplies from the West for
| the Southern cotton grower during the
spring and summer. In the fall mil
! lions of cotton bales would be turned
over to them for carriage to the sea-
ports or Northern markets, second
whack had at the great Southern in
dustry.
The stock raisers of Kentucky and
Tennessee were pleased at the bright
prospect of supply for the future that
beautiful Southland, where all that
was needed to make a man rich was a
piece Of land planted in cotton, with a
negro and Kentuckyamule to plough
it.
Guano manufacturers saw at once
that plant foods in enormous quanti-
titles would have to be supplied to
keep up the fertility of the cleanly
cultivated fields, and that the invest
ment would be good one. Cotton
expositions were held all over the
country aud the white staple crowned
king.
It has taken twenty years toswhip
the fight, but the intense greed of the
world has done the work, and to-day
the old king lies half dead in the
ditch, while broken and disappointed
mourners gaze upon the long trail of
a disappointed past. While the farm
er has lost in the struggle the country
at large has developed and increased
its wealth steadily each year.
have no criticism to make of the
farmer for so largely producing cot
ton, even with the costly use Of COM
mercial fertilizers, when the business
was lucrative one. But we face con-
ditions to-day which are serious and
which make impossible the future
wholesale production of cotton as a
means of developing future prosperity
In the rich, alluvial lands of the
Southwest, in which are embraced the
valleys of the Mississippi, the exten-
siye plains Of Texas and Southern
Oklahoma, cotton is being grown on
an average Of one bale per acre, with
out the use Of fertilizers. The farm
ers Of your own State, after using an
nually hundreds of thousands Of tons
of fertilizers, can barely average half
bale per acre. With these heavy
odds against us and competition an
nually increasing in the Southwest,
We will be forced to change our pres
ent system of farming. The solution
Of the problem by which we are to-day
confronted must be largely determined
by the efforts of each individual who
is directly engaged in the production
of cotton-and who, by reason Of a
full appreciation Of his needs and conf
dition, realize that he is an important
factor in breaking the bondage under
which he rests, that the freedom and
independence of his business may be
once more established, placing him on
that high plane of prosperity which
was so conspicuous in the early days
of our fathers.
Fill your granaries and smoke hous-
es with the products Of your farms,
stock your pastures with cattle, sheep
and hogs. Diversity your interests
and prepare to go into the markets Of
your country with dozen staple pro-
ducts where you now only attempt one.
Cut down your cotton acreage and di-
versify the crops planted. We can