The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1907-04-10
SLAVES 70 COTTON, sAYs
LEVER AT CHESTER.
Chester County Farmers Enthused by
Speech of Young Congressman and
His Suggestions Touching Diyersi.
fed Agriculture.

Ills Suggestions TOUCHING DiSersi'
fed Agriculture.
Chester, April IA large and enthu-
siastic crowd greeted the Hon. A. F.
Lever at the Opera House in this city
yesterday morning, when he addressed
s. the Chester County Cotton Associa-
tion. Mr.. Lever delivered some good
and forcible truths. He made no set
speech, but talked about such things
as would interest an audience of far
mers, the burden of his address being
plea for diversifcation Of crops and
organization of interests. Mr.. Lever
has q thorough and correct under
standing of the peculiar conditions
that surround farming interests in the
South to-day. He is aforceful speaker.
never at q loss for word and driving
his Arguments home with precision
and dispatch.
Mr.. .. sM. Wise. president OF the
Chester County Cotton Association,
resided and introduced the speaker.
The address made profound impress
sion on those present, the prevailing
opinion being that Mr.. Levers diver
sifcation idea is the only correct sys-
tenn for Southern farmers to pursue.
ME-. Lever alludedto the possibili-
lies Of this State, of what nature has
endowed us with in the way of soil
and climate. He declared that we are
not taking the proper advantage Of
these factors, but are moving back
wards in smany respects, our great
failing being that we trust absolutely
to cotton. We are the slaves of the
one-crop system, slaves as absolutely
as are the serfs Of Russia.
South Carolina on two separate and
distinct occasions has demonstrated
her supremacy in the matter of grow
ing corn. We also excel in raising
alfalfa, peavine hay and other prod
ucts, and it has just been demonstrated
on farm IN Sumter County that drug
plants can be grown to advantage in
South Carolina, experiment. having
developed the fact that net profit Of
$75 was realized to the acre in Sumter.
The United States is annually send
ing ont OF the country $4,000, 900 for
mating material. After repeated
effort this plant has been smuggled
out of Japan and is now being grown
In California. Our soil and climate
would favor its growth, and we should
endeaYor to substitute it or other
plants for cotton.
The fact that cattle have to be fed
for only about two months in this lati-
tude is an argument for cattle raising.
If the bleak climate of the North and
Northwest make cattle raising prof.
table, why should we not be able to
raise cattle here with profit to our
selves?
South Carolina is now expending
$500, 900 annually for Northern dairy
products. Why can't this amount be
kept at home? It can if our farmers
will cut loose from cotton and give
some of their attention to other crops.
The Southern farmer can never
hope to have monopoly on cotton.
He must put his product upon the
market in order to meet the demands
of the merchant and the banker.
Cotton should be grown as a surplus
crop. Every need of the home should
be looked after in the matter OF the
cultivation of crops, and then the
residue of energy and time should be
expended on the surplus crop.
Diversified farming is on the in
crease: not so much, perhaps, through
choice as from necessity, the stringent
labor situation having rendered
smaller farms a necessity, and it hav-
ing been found possible to grow other
crops with less trouble than cotton.
The tendency of the brothers in
black is to leave the farm and move
into the towns, and right here MI
Lever declared there should be rigo-
rous enforcement of the vagrancy law.
compelling the negroes to remain on
the farms rather than haunt the towns
and turn criminals.
It is absolutely necessary TOR South
Carolina to make cotton surplus
crop. We can't compete with the
rich bottoms of Texas and Mississippi,
where bale of cotton or more can be
grown to the acre with but small out
lay for fertilizer:
We are expending FIVE millions an