The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-05-31
LETTER FROM MR.. KEN
NEEDY.
Get Your Name on the Roll.

Editor Press and Banner;
There seems to be but little doubt now but
that the acreage will be reduced and reduced
very materially If rain and grass count Tor
any thing. There has been bat three days
blowing done around here In two weeks and
the crops are literally taken with the grass
and there is no day labor TO be had at any
prloe, one dollar per day Is no lnducement
and the question naturally is aske ID what are
you going to do. Each and every farmer
will have to decide for himself present indi.
cations are that q lot OF land that IL planted
in cotton will not be worked. NOT only IL tnls
the condition In our community but 1t Is the
case all over the cotton belt. Texas and
Arkansas have suffered more on account oil
products which have done a great deal OF
damage, A report from Texas a few days ago
was that so percent Of the cotton remained 10
be planted yet, 20 per cent OF that amount
had been planted but bad TO be planted over
on account Of foods on the water courses ana
the crop will be at least sixty days late and 1t
Is claimed by those who live mere thnt II
will mature just in time for the boil WeVil 10
put in his best work. SO viewing the sltua-
tion this far Off 1t will take very favorable
conditions from now on for Texas TO make a
three fourths of q crop as they reporta 10 per
cent reduction in acreage also.
The weather conditions are getting 10 De a
very serious question as there has been but
very little corn planted as yet and q great
deal Of the bottom land not had a ploW In II.
Now when the weather fairs up which crop
will the farmer neglect his corn or his cotton
would urge the farmers not to neglect bis
corn for that Is your living, IT has commenced
to advance in price already on account OF
weather conditions 80 If your bottom lands
continue too wet TO work in corn SOW them
in peas and cane and fill your barns full Of
hay, and II you have plenty OF hay you Will
not need 30 much corn.
Ifthere is any Of your cotton you cannot
work SOW II in peas and get a crop OF nay ana
At the same time improve your land II VIII
not require much work TO SOW IL and you Will
ha through mill ready 10 cut,
l am afraid If there Is q short crop OF cation
made and we realize q good price for IT, all
con and you may rest assured you will have
to pay for them for the western crop Of wheat
will be short and We can't tell what the
North Western corn crop will be but at pres
ent 1t points to q short crop. Two extrems
don't usually follow one another. Last yea1
they raised one Of the biggest crops of corn
that has ever been raised and yet corn has
been selling for 80 cents per ousnel. NOW
there be a short crop both there and here
too.
That's the reason I am anxious for the
farmers not to neglect their corn for II they
do they cannot have good stock and can they
farm as they should without good mules.
Let's try TO make our farms self sustaining
as much as possible and then we will not be
worried about the price OF cotton, yet we
want what rightly belongs to as and 10 get
that, we ave got to adopt different methods.
We will have TO get out of the old rut, the
way WHICH, our SThuu ldLbClo tlnNOiSo
We hear on all sides that this is a pro-
gressive age. l ask the question does the
way in which the farmer makes his cotton
denote progress, can we not adopt q different
and q better way? I say 1t can be done and IT
is through the ware house system. We can
accomplish much along the line of selling
our cotton If we had q system OF ware houses.
Why are the factories willing TO give more
for cotton stored in ware houses than cotton
lying around In the country. My neighbor
lost one thousand pounds OF cotton damaged
out of twelve bales a clear loss OF two bales
and still there are farmers who are opposed
TO ware houses. =,
Would there not be as much reason and
business for a mar to buy q fifty dollar bug
gy in September and stand 1t under an oak
tree and let It stand there until March as 10
throw Off q bale Of cotton worth the same? l
ask which would damage the most In the
same time, Let's try and stop some OF the
leaks on the farm and If we would but organ.
lie and work together we woul not only stop
some on the farm but of of 1t also. That Is
one Of the principles Of the F. E. aDdC. u. OF
America a friendly co operation with each
other. Organize is the watchword.
W. l.. Kennedy.