The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1901-04-24
Is the Stock Law a Failure

The March weather that has been
prevalent since the beginning of this
month has much retarded the work
en- the farms The heavy raius fol-
lowed by the colds winds have hin.
dered all kinds of work, aud the
planting of corn and cotton is very
much behind in this section, although
the farmers have been making every
day count when they could Go 50
A ride of twenty five miles through
the upper section of the county has
been a revelation to US in some re-
spects, as it has been two or three
years since we bad the privilege Of
going IN that direction One thing
which surprised US is that the country
is fast becoming denuded of forest
trees, and where great stretches Of
woods existed few years ago not .
stick of timber is to be seen The
lands are open for cultivation, and
il is perceptible that cotton is the
cause of so much clearing being done.
The result of this state of things
must necessarily produce an arid
condition in this country, which
betokoDs more frequent and greater
droughts than we have ever known
before Tree planting is an unknown
policy in South Carolina. and the
restoration of the forests is in the
distant future
Twenty FIVE years ago the stock
law was inaugurated ln this State,
and one of the reasons for its enact
ment, which some Of us urged with
much persistence, was to compel the
preservation of the forests as means
of retaining the moisture and prevent
ing drougts The theory is ell right,
but the practice since that time has
utterly destroyed the maio purpose Of
the law
More lard mas been cleared in
Greenvilie county since the stock
law went into effect than for 50 years
prior to its enactment, and the clear
Ing has been done mainly oD account
Of the fact that the farmers no longer
need rail timber of any consequence,
which caused the forests to be kept
intact on every farm Possibly a
mistake was made when the stock
law was passed. and most assaredly
many farmers have made grievous
mistakes in cutting down their tim
Der to such an extent that the mois-
ture' produced by nature through
large bodies of tlmbered land has
been virtually destroyed
II seems to be evident that the
cause of this destruction of timber
is traceable 10 the creze for growing
cotton Lands can be rented to
plant cotton when they would lie idle
otherwise, and this temptation has
induced many farmers to cut down
their woods Grain aud grasses are
the natural products of the soil in
this county, especially in the upper
portion, but in riding along the
8uncombe road and the White Horse
road in returning to the city, we
we're impressed with the fact that the
grain crop is much less than last
year. aud ths. the cotton acreage
will be increased from 10 to 20 per
cent on g majority of the farms.
Wheat, oats and barley present a
good appearance, and without disas
ter the farmer who has acted wisely
in this respect is likely to reap good
harvests while the coitontos is going
to toll all the summer and axe what
he can get for his crop pe1t fall.
Fifteen million bales at cents a
pound will yield S225 100000 and
ten million bales at s cents will yield
S4o0 000,o00 The average cotton
grower prefers to take his chances on
the 5 cents pound -Greenviiis
Mountaineer