Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-05-15
Mistellaneuns 8eading.
LIVESTOCK INDUSTRY.
Source of Prosperity That Is Neglect
ed In South Carolina.

| ca IN OouIn SdToilHd'
At the Farmers Union held in Sum-
ter last week, Mr.. B. Harris, president
of the State Farmers Union delivered
the following interesting address on
the livestock industry:
Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentle
men: 1t affords me the greatest Of
| pleasure to meet with the representa-
| tive farmers Of South Carolina, and
especially Of Sumter county. 1 have
been assigned to talk to you about the
| livestock industry in our state and its
needs. find that the average farmer
i'm South Carolina needs education
along the line Of breeding, developing
and handling livestock. more than in
any other branch of agriculture. And
I wish to say right here, that state
cannot prosper If it does not make live
stock one Of the leading features Of
agriculture.
The first question that arises in the
minds Of our South Carolina farmers,
Is whether or not the south Is adapted
stock | hope that we will be able to
prove To you that the fault Is not with
the conditions existing In South Caro-
lima, but that the fault lies with the
farmers themselves. If you were to
ask me what county was the best
adapted to stock raising in this state,
| would answer you Sumter county
Then If you were to ask what kind OF
| livestock would be the most profitable
to raise in South Carolina, would an
swer dairy cattle, horses, sheep, hogs,
and poultry. If you ask me why l say
Sumter county could foster stock rails
ing with such great profit, would re-
ply because there is no section that
offers more natural advantages for the
breeding and raising Of livestock. /
say this because you can raise such
diversity of forage crops. Ten months
out of the twelve you can have some
kind Of soling crop to feed to your cat
tie, horses, sheep and hogs l will not
attempt to name the kind of soiling
crops for this within itself would re-
quire too much time. However, I will
say that the Bermuda grass will do for
the south what blue grass has done for
Kentucky. l know Of one place in par
ticular where One-quarter OF an acre
of Bermuda grass, furnishes all the
grazing that 1,2O0 pound bull can
eat for seven months out Of the year
and it takes an average Of one acre OF
Kentucky blue grass for steer. Right
here in Sumter county, one acre OF
Bermuda grass will furnish grazing for
three head. There is no country where
feed can be raised cheaper than in
South Carolina and where stock is freer
from disease. Healthy stock should be
expected, for they can have outdoor
exercise every day Of the year, which
is very essential to the health Of ami
mails.
Now as to the necessity for raising
livestock in our southland. How are
we to reclaim our worn out soil? Can
we do it with commercial fertilizers?
The answer is no. We will have to
do it with livestock. l wish to make
q comparison Of conditions along this
line as they exist in Iowa and in South
Carolina. In the state of Iowa you will
find that this ratio exists-to every in
habitant there are one and one-half
milch COWS and in South Carolina to
every eleven inhabitants there Is only
one milch COW. In Iowa there Is one
sheep to every inhabitant, In South
Carolina there is one to every twenty
seven inhabitants Continuing this
comparison statistics show:
Iowa has three and one-half hogs to
each inhabitant, South Carolina has
one hog to each inhabitant.
Iowa has one COW to every six and
one-half acres, South Carolina one COW
to every fifty-four and one half acres.
Iowa foaled 191, 1,237 horses and mules
in 1900 South Carolina foaled 2,S29
horses and mules in 1900.
Iowa value of farm products per ag-
ricultural worker, 1885, South Carolina
value of farm products per agricultural
worker, $174.
Iowa, horses and mules to every two
Agricultural workers, seven, South Car
olina horses and mules to every two
agricultural workers, two.
Iowa value Of dairy products, per
each agricultural worker, $74; South
Carolina value Of dairy products, per
49,, oh N u,prEar
Even the hens lay ten times as many
eggs in Iowa as they do IN South
Carolina, Notwithstanding the climate
in South Carolina far surpasses that
OF Iowa for egg producing.
Now why did 1 say we must have
dairy cattle in South Carolina? Be
cause the quickest road to a dollar Is
through the dairy COW. She pays her
expense account every twenty-four
hours and gives you Il profit Of ten per
cent on her cost for three hundred and
siXty-five days in the year, and be-
sides she furnishes you the most whole
some food obtainable for your table.
She does not run on a credit basis. 1t
IS all cash with her and no futures in
it. South Carolina buys annually $12,-
100000 in dairy products and there is
no state in the union that can produce
these products cheaper than we can
here in South Carolina.
Now let us see where our money Is
going every year We send from home
$13,10O,000 annually for bacon. Any
good farmer in our state can raise
bacon for three cents per pound.
We send out of the state for horses
and mules annually $11,350.O00, and
there is no country where you can raise
a horse or mule any cheaper than you
can in South Carolina. 1 can raise
better one here for 500 than our far
mers are paying $3.50 for out Of the
state l can raise all Of the feed on one
acre that a colt will require until he
Is three years old and at the end Of
that time will have $50 in cash to the
credit Of the land. Apply the manure
the colt has made in three years to the
same acre and you. will increase the