Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-06-19

lmuch expense, ascertain just what hi
lsoil-the various portions Of his farm
will best produce. Government sol
experts or state agricultural colleg'
specialists will inform him, gladly
} On light, sandy land that may b.
too porous to hold the fertilizer, he may
grow sweet potatoes, melons, early Irisl
pota toes, onions and other crops will
ljudicious care and cultivation. If
farmer does not understand the prac
tical growing Of other crops than cot
ton it is his business to learn, anC
from the pages of any first-class agri
lcultural paper he can acquire th'
knowledge during the winter months
The farm journal is the origina
"correspondence school," ard a few
letters Of inquiry will bring the farmel
the desired information-po extra
charge.
On good corn land the southern far
nrer can produce crop at 30 cents PEI
bushel cost. How many times in tel
years can he buy corn as low as that
Oats Can be grown cheaper than they
can be bought any year, considering
the extra value Of the straw; general!
the cost Is less than half the marke
price of the grain.
An acre of potatoes, early or late
Irish or sweet, should produce mor'
not profit than a bale Of cotton OF
leverage markets.
Any Of the above crops are worth
lgrowing for profit and an acre or two
In each one increases the growers
chances for a good profit. on one ol
more. The market is rarely glutted OF
lany of them-never on all in any ont
year.
The planters answer to the question
why he does not grow a diversity o.
crops is: Il can get more out Of cottor
than anything else, and therefore cal
afford to buy all my supplies" He ha:
said this so often that he actually be-
llieves Itself f-hypnotiZed into believing
an untruth. If the average plantel
/
will admit there are many acres o.
Hand planted in cotton that do not pay
one year with another. If he viii ex'
anime still further he will readily set
that he could produce a profitable croI
OF something else on this otherwise
dead horse. He could grow those
things he now has to buy.
| Why Do You Borrow?
Why does a planter borrow money
to finance the new crop?" He need:
mules, implements, vehicles, fertilizer
and seed, but more than these he need!
feed for. his hands and stock. Mules
are quick asset and can always b'
sold at a price; vehicles and imple
ments do not wear out in a year anC
lare a tangible collateral. Fertilize
land seed he must use, but he has solC
tons of seed from last crop. Why ha!
he not saved sinking fund" to bu!
the bushels he needs for planting? Ha!
he saved and utilized all the home
made fertilizer produced on his plan
tation? But the chief expense a liv
ing for his help and his working stock
that requires more than any othe
litem-what of 1t? He should not neet
to buy a dollars worth OF either
lThat should have been stored in hi:
grain cribs, hay ricks and meathous'
all grown on his own plantation th'
year before. He could have raised 1
for half what it will cost him to bu!
lit. Then he has the interest to pay OF
the loan. Not only does he pay inter
est. but assumes an obligation whici
must be met on a certain day, and Il
inject 1t he must sell cOtton-whateVe
the price-deliberately putting himsel
lin the hands Of the speculator who's
business it is to beat down the marke
for the occasion.
Suppose that planter, or Whol
community of planters, have excep
tional land that is all good cotton sol
; and will grow bale or more to tn
iacre on the average-it sometime
happens. This is the man with whom
his neighbor on poor ground must com
pete. This planter and his tenants,
, he has them, can thrive on 10 or l
lcents cotton, while others near by can
not raise more than one-half bale t
the acre on their inferior soil. The.
can not make a living at 1t. He Is,
course, the rare exception, but he ex
lists. He must buy his supplies; VIII!
not from his neighbor? The latter i
not forced to grow cotton. He cal
produce all the grain, fodder and mea
that are now brought from distan
markets and have cash demand
his door. During any year the raising
of these crops would produce goot
living for the upland farmer, and II
, such a year as we are passing through
he would have had the bulge on hi
cotton growing neighbor. Corn at 8
cents to 81 a bushel oats at go to q
cents and potatoes at 81 or over woul'
have netted him more than the SAM
ground in cotton on a 15-cent market.
The planter who grows cotton-an'
only cotton-speculates when he mlgh
hedge beyond the possibility OF loss
He goes short on the market" for al
his supplies (because he does not grow
them). He bets that meat, corn, stocl
, feed, flour and all the necessities 10
his crop making can be bought for les
than he can grow them, or that nj
cotton will bring a high enough pric
to offset any difference. He may ge
whipsawed on the deal, in that cOttol
NAV be cheap and everything whicl
he must buy be dear He borrows tn
money to margin his DEAL HI
doesn't know whether the rain-o
drought-Or weevil will leave him
crop of cotton or not, and he doesn'
seem to care-he takes the chance.
How many merchants could succeed
in business if it was conducted ol
such a basis?
, Experience has taught him that II
r yea RS when the cotton crop is lightes
prices are usually the highest, and h
, gets about the same amount Of none,
+ for his surplus.
The greatest disadvantage he face