The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-09-12
DIVERSITY THE CROPS
Col. John S. Cuningham Urges
This on Farmers,
He Talks Of The Tobacco and Cotton Situation
and Gives Advice About
These Crops.

Col John S. Cunningham, who is in the
city, in talking yesterday of the cotton
and tobacco crops urged that there be
Investigation of crops. He said:
mot only the tobacco farmers. but
the cotton growers are feeling deep IN
terest in the situation at the present
time. short time ago when cotton was
selling around ii cents, there were many
who thought that the price for the pres
ent crop would sell some where in the
neighborhood of this price. 1t was gen.
orally reported by those who had COM
bined together to put up the price after
the crop of 1902 had passed out of the
farmers hands that the present crop
would be a short one, and that owing to
bad seasons that the crop would not be
as large as it was during the past year,
but as soon as these parties had succeeded
in selling what they had bought they
set about at once to get the report clrcu-
lated, not only in this country, but
abroad, that the present crop would be
an unusually large one, and for some days
cotton has been rapidly going down IN
price.
There has been but very little advance
in the price of tobacco, and it will be wise
for the tobacco growers to hold their
i have found by experience that when a
farmer handles his tobacco well and pre-
pares it for market in good condition,
and does not rush it On the market, that
he usually gets a much better price for
his tobacco and especially when 1T Is of
good quality.
II have urged upon all our farmers
the Importance of diversifying their
crops and raising their supplies at home.
There is an old saying, which is very true,
that the man who makes two grains Of
corn, where only one grew before and two
blades of grass where only one grew be-
fore is a benefactor. / urged upon our
tobacco farmers to grow their supplies
at home, and to raise all of the tobacco
and cotton that they could. If they will
do this in the future they will find that
1t will be of great advantage to every
man who tries it. We are now consid-
ering present conditions, and if tobacco
does not bring a better price than it IS
now selling for, not only the farmers
will lose heavily, but the merchants, the
tobacco buyers and in fact every BUSH
ness interest in our entire tobacco coun-
try.
II am receiving many letters from diff
ferent sections of the State, and / think
that it is wise upon the part of the
farmers to organize as rapidly as possible,
and if they will do so they will be in
a position to farm more intelllgently IN
the future than they have done in the
past believe that it will be wise for
our next legislature to enact a law re
quiring the warehouses and the farmers
to report all the tobacco sold during the
current year in order that some definite
L. -
be shown l believe that this will be of
great value, not to the farmers, but to
the manufacturers and al who deal in
tobacco. In the Eastern section of our
State, owing to unfavorable seasons the
tobacco crop will be much lighter i'll
weight than it was during the past year
of 1902.
81 sincerely hope that the farmers. as
/ have stated before. will make up their
minds to diversity their crops and to
raise their own supplies on the farm. and
not buy so much from Ohio and Illinois
and other parts of the country. 1t will
be unwise for the merchants and business
men to force the farmers to sell their
tobacco at the present low prices, and it
is necessary for the benefit for each one
to help the other.
II think that the farmers should study
more carefully in the future as to the
fertilizer which is best suited to their
soil and to their crop. 1 have had occa-
sion to talk with many intelligent farm
ers who grow cotton, tobacco, corn and
who are engaged in truck farming, and
they tell me that they have greatly in
creased their productions by using the
proper fertilizer upon their different crops.
This is a most important question as
North Carolina pays out from six to
seven millions of dollars for fertilizer per
year."
Colonel Cunningham, speaking of the
State Fair and of tie Masonic Fair,
which will be held at the same time, said
that he believed that it will be of great
benefit to the farmers, as well as to all
of our people, to attend, as there will be
many useful attractions which will be of
interest to one and all.