The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1906-01-31

The following letter Of profound in
terest to South Carolina farmers has
been received by the News and Cour->
ier:
Clemson College, Jan. Is, 1905.
To the Editor of The News and
Courier: Thanks to the high price OF
cotton which has made the past year
one Of general prosperity for the far
mers of South Carolina, most Of our
farmers are contented and have but
little concern for the future. There
are those, however, who are less IN
different and who are already specu-
lating with more or less concern as to
what the coming year may bring forth
in the way Of cotton and cotton
prices. It is feared with good reason
that the present high prices will re-
suit in increased production and con-
sequent depression IL prices the COM
ing year.
w I'LL l.1S QUILL as lllC SOOA " ":
nearly the entire worlds supply or COT
ton, it seems logical that q reasonable
restriction in it's culture would give
us almost positive assurance of con-
tinuance of high prices for this staple
product. A reduction in the acreage
Of cotton necessarily calls for the grow
ing of other crops in conjunction with
cotton, and thus bring US to our IN
evitabie goal, namely, diversified farm
ing. without which the full agricultu-
raj possibilities of South Carolina and
the South can never be realized.
The kind Of farming which fits in
most ideally with the growing Of cot
ton, nay, which is absolutely necessary
for best results, is the growing Of live
stock. That live stock is our greatest
land improver is universally conceded
and so long as our farmers are
Obliged to pay s5,OoO,OO0 annually for
commercial fertilizer it must also be
conceded that something is needed to
improve the productiveness of our
lands.
In conjunction with the growing Of
cotton live stick is Of the highest val
ue if for no other reason than the con-
sumption Of the by-products' Of this
vast industry. Our farmers are vast
ing millions Of dollars annually by ap-
plying their cotton seed and cotton
seed meal directly to the land instead
Of feeding it to live stock. and apply
ing the manure to the land. A ton of
cotton seed meal has fertilizing val
ue of $3.50 per ton. When fed to
live stock from 80 to 80 per cent. Of
It's fertilizing value is recovered IN the
manure. When fed to a dairy COW
nd only butter is sold, all the fertil-
.z;rg value of the cotton seed meal is
recovered, because butter contains no
fertilizing ingredients.
It is evident that the value Of cot
ton seed meal as a food for milk pro-
duction is far better understood out
side of the cotton belt than within it.
For years Denmark and Germany
have imported large quantities Of our
cotton seed meal for milk production.
Hundreds Of tons are annually ship
ped to various parts Of the United
States outside of the cotton produc-
ing region, where this feed is regard
ed as one Of the most economical foc
milk production.
What does this vast shipment Of cot
ton seed meal to different parts Of
the world mean to our farmers? It
means shifting of land values. Ev-
cry time the German or Danish or
English farmer feeds a ton of cotton
seed meal he adds practically $3.50
to the value of his land, .and just so
often the Southern farmer loses an
equivalent amount in land value.
Hundreds of carloads Of cotton seed
meal are fed to dairy cattle in places
where it cannot be purchased for less
than $50 to s35 per ton. And yet in
most of these very places the meal is
purchased solely for the purpose of
milk production, and that, too, with
the intention of making money. When
fed to the right class Of cattle cotton
seed meal is worth at least $50 per
ton as a milk producer. Whenever,
therefore, ton of meal is thrown up
on the land we add to it $3.50 worth
of fertility. but throw away its most
valuable part, its feeding value. which
we have placed at s35 per ton.
The great agricultural possibilities
of South Carolina will not be realized
until our farmers will return to the
land the cotton by-products. and not
until then will they know that cotton
can be produced without an expediture
of millions of dollars for commercial
~,