The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1906-05-08
tutes, and giving object lessons in
cooperation with individual dairymen
and state experiment stations.

and state experiment stations.
In presenting the need of this pro-
vision Mr.. Lever called attention to
the fac: that the south must buy from
northern and western markets each
year over 15O,OOO,000 pounds Of but
ter, 63,OO0,000 pounds Of cheese and
millions of gallons of milk. A con-
servati", estimate shows that the
Southern States are annually contrib
uting to markets other than their
own, the enormous sum of $3S, ,OOO, 900
for butter and cheese alone, products
which we have every reason to be-
lieve can be raised at home.
Mr.. Lever furtherargued that appro-
priation of $4,000, carried by his
bill, has in it the possibility of the
creation of new industry in the
south and the saving to our people of
this enormous drain upon their re-
sources. There can be no good reason
given why the dairy industry cannot
be built mp in the south. We have
every natural advantage in the mild
ness Of our climate. and in the capac-
ity of our soil to yield large forage
crops and the rapidly increasing pop
ulation Of our cities, the growth Of
our manufacturing interests will con-
sumo for many years the entire pro-
duets of our dairy farm. "1t seems
to me- said he, "that the time is
opportune for launching this industry
among our people, especially when we
take into consideration the increas-
ing demand for dairy products.
Continuing, Mr.. Lever said: "That
this industry has not heretofore been
developed is due to the fact that the
entire attention Of our people, all
their energies, and most of their ag-
ricultural capital have been given to
the development Of the cotton indus
try. Cotton has been and will con-
tinue to be the great money crop of
the south. 1t is king among our peo-
pie and so jealous is it Of its own do
minion that no other agricultural in
dustry has dared to raise its head
within its domain. The people of
the south have become servants of the
one-crop system. We have grown cot
ton so long and so successfully that
we have to believe that we cannot
grow anything else, and the bulk Of
our people have been afraid to under
take any new agricultural industry.
The purpose had in mind when in
troduced this bill was, as much as
anything else, to prove to our people
by actual demonstration that cotton
was not their master. and to teach
them that in diversification of their
industries must lie their ultimate ag-
ricultural independence. I want to
show to the people that the same at
tention devoted to the raising of eat
tie and to the development Of the dali
ry industry as is given to cotton will
bring profitable return. I want to
strike from their wrists the manacle
of the one-crop system and make them
in a degree the holders of a monopoly
upon their cotton. They do not now
have this monopoly, although, il is Of
ten asserted that they have. You cam
not have a monopoly on anything
when YOU must sell it to buy the nee
essaries of life. The southern farmer
is now the slave Of the cotton specu-
lator and gambler, the servant of the
cotton spinner, because in the fall he
must rush his cotton upon the market
IN order to meet the obligations in
Cured in the production of the crop.
When our farmers are self-sustaining
and cotton is surplus crop, then and
only then, can we take advantage in
the monopoly in the growing Of cotton
which is given to us by our peculiar
soil and climate. The southern farm
er must diversity if he would reap the
full possibilities Of his natural advan-
tages. 1t is my hope that this appro-
priation will serve as an entering
wedge in this direction.
"No industrial structure can long
maintain itself on one leg. Farming
Is at best a gamble; and the single
crop system is always n gamble. 1t
will not do to put all of your eggs in
one basket. The great west went crazy
on wheat some years ago. Wheat be.
came to the western farmer as much
his master as cotton has become the
master of the southern farmer. The
result was that i'll 1890 to 1901. in
that period of low prices, one-third of