The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1900-01-17
;7TTENy STIRRING SPEECH
ADDRESSED THE CONVENTION MOI, OF COM
6OO wscIoNERs OF AGRICULTURE
,,,.d the Independence of the Rural !, Dis
''S t,,t,. Education of the Farmer the
KEYNOTE Of the Address,

KEYNOTE Of the Address,
e,t onnnal convention of the Cot
az S..,os Association of the Commis-
W. o Of Agriculture, of which Comm's-
sionor q. B. Stevens of Georgia is presi-
q 5 DAINTY was held in New Orleans last week
coorgia Alabama, North Carol'na'
,,,'aissinni Louisiana and New Mexico
r n'., renresented. At the conclusion OF
,ha address of welcome by Commissioner
! ,os,remski Of Louisiana President Stew
ons delivered his annual address.
"Por years." said Mr.. Stevens
.tba farmers of The south have been
5rift;ng into a condition of bankruptcy
and Generalization. This is not due to
s,orDitv Of soil nCr to untayorable CHI
ma,fc conditions. 1t is not altogether
fair TO lay the fault of failure to our peo'
ple, for as a class they have worked In
dustriously, in and out of season, but
rbev have not worked with any fixed
purpose of permanent benefit in the end.
81 have for years been urging the
farmers of Georgia to reverse their
methods if they would escape the condi.
tions which have resulted on account OF
a lack of diversifcation in planting their
crops. The salvation Of the people de.
ponds upon rural independence and
urge upon each of you, the commission
ers of the cotton growing states, to cal
upon your people to change their meth
.ods of farming. The farming interest
has been the subject of much discussion
10y the press and the people of the south
Nor the past twelve months, SO much SO
Rthat the people of the rural districts are
seeking information by reading the dali
y and weekly papers and agricultural
Journals. This is one of the important
on which this association must
rely in reaching the farming class, by
writing monthly letters upon agriculture
al subjects and questions to be published
once a month in your newspapers"
After dwelling npon the great adVan,
tages resulting to the southern farmer
from diversified crops Mr.. Stevens said
''Mules and fertilizers have advanced
81 per cent; corn, forage and meat are
L per cent. higher; pillow tools and
farming machinery are Is per cent. high.
or; cotton goods are 50 per cent. higher
so the crop of 1900-1901 will cost FULLY
80 per cent more to market it than Old
the crop of 1899>l900. [ urge YOU to
sound a note OF warning right now. Tell
your farmers to make small bills, to buv
Tor cash If possible, to plant largely for
1000 crops and reduce the acreage in
cotton even below that of last year. The
cotton crop of 1899 1900 will barely reach
nine million bales and the average price
PAID thus far has been 7 cents, so that if
We again reduce the use of fertiIizers
'hd the acreage of cotton aud prOduce
'nIy eight million bales next season wa
nay expect not less than 9 cents ner
2ounu lot our crop. But if our farmers
% wlIa again as they did in 1898-buv
very INN 9 they can on time, plant the
"noie earth IN cotton aud make cron
VI eleVen and half million balas-tbe
hope" "i'noS' beyond
after Atler pointing out the advantage. re-
sultlng to the south from the establish
m NJ ~ OF cotton factories and the necassi.
Sta VI nlgher education generally. Mr.
stevens I've concludes: 4'
bo n.y. ny all means educate the farmer that
,bo may ill the earth with plenty . an o~
the tlults OF his willing labor and make
W., y r hearts of all men glad"
i Tb l lax ASSESSORS To MAKE REPORTS
,otit no convention passed a resolution
fga aao3 the governors and le@islato Ua
awe T na, auu every cotton state to enact
% rsn Iequlrlng the county tax assessors
omp MIL aC stated times to the state
pqct ii "s of agriculture of their re-.
,orsS t " states the number of acres de
.tber ~ W me cultivation of cotton and
rod I PRODUCTS, the condition of these
mat ' 81 ~ the period Of cultivation. es.
1eraof VI yield thereof, the shipment
fin% and such other information ras
was , dto as may be deemed usefnl
ion % 10 IPsclded to hold the next conven>
s sI a" 4" ha5eigh, but the date has not vet