Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1908-10-14
FARMERS URGED TO DIVERSITY.
Importan. Statement Made by Presi-
Il dent Harris.

President b. Harris, of the South
Carolina Farmers Union, has issued
IAN important address to the men,
bers on the need of diversifying their
crops. He also makes the important
announcement that arrangements
have been made with the Standard
Warehouse Company for storing cot
ton and the issuance of receipts. Mr..
Harris advised the farmers to ar
range for the money for about six
months. His address is given below.
The Farmers Union urges her mem
bers and farmers generally not to
rush their cotton on the market at
the present prices, which are below
the cost of production. Every bale
of cotton being sold Is taken from
the producer at $40 per bale less
than It's real value. Who Is the
bear of the market? Is 1t not the
producer? If you would refuse to
take the price offered the spectators
will have to give your price. Can
you do better? Certainly you can.
The Farmers Union has been offered
all the money necessary If we will
only put our cotton in bonded ware
houses. The union has a number OF
warehouses, and the Standard Ware
house Company is also in position to
latter company can store 10000
bales and issue receipts which will
be negotiable at any bank. Arrange
ments have been made for carrying
your cotton, fol- you If you will but
cooperate. If further information
regarding this Is desired, address the
undersigned at 'endleton, S. G. 1
would advise any one putting their
cotton In warehouses to arrange for
money for six months at least.
Is 1T good Judgment to warehouse
cotton? l will answer yes, it is al
ways good judgment to warehouse
any product when it sells below pro-
duction anG conditions will certainly
warrant it now.
AS to the condition of the present
cotton crop, the weather over
large portion of the belt is bad, and
so are prospects. Heavy rains are
reported over Texas, Oklahoma and
Florida, and reports from deteriora-
ton from the cotton belt still come
In from every State, and the world
realizes now that the crop is short.
1t Will not more than duplicate our
last crop. There will be no top crop
this year, and cotton Is opening pre-
maturely. ! want to urge our farm
ers to .,arehouse their cotton and
get money on 1t to settle their in
debtedness and market the crop as
the world needs it. BY so doing you
can get your price.
1t will pay the farmers to remem
ber that corn is now selling at $1.1O
per bushel, bacon from II cents to
IL cents per pound, ham Is cents to
20 cents per pound. Real far
mers are purchasers of the above
articles. Now, brother, don't grum-
BILE when the speculator offers you
S.75 and 9 cents for your cotton.
He knows that you have to pay for
the above articles you have bought
to make this cotton, and you now
have to meet your obligations. Now,
be fair and don't blame him when he
oners you the present price. Re-
member that buying bacon, corn,
flour, molasses, hay, guano, mules
and horses is the cause. want you
to remember that there Is no coun-
try where the above articles can be
raised cheaper than here in South
Carolina. The remedy for 8.75 and
cents cotton Is diversification Of
crops. So let me suggest that you
write diversity crops this year" and
tack 1t up in the most conspicuous
place about your house, so that you
can be reminded Of it every day, and
then do 1t, and you can name your
price for your cotton crop and secure
1t for your whole crop. So diversity.
b. Harris,
President State Farmers Union.
Impure blood runs Won down