The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1908-06-24

The experts OF the department., men
who have actual experience, are
teaching our dairymen the most i'm
proved methods OF the business. The
result 10 shown in the report Of the
secretary of agriculture for 1907, in
which the statement is made that the
nerds with which the department has
dealt show an increase In value OF
production Of 1915 per month for
each dairy cow. This gives you some
little idea Of the value Of expert In
formation as IL touches our natural
resources. There Ii no reason why
the South should not be a successful
dairying country. 1t depends upon
the use Of improved methods in the
business. The department Of agricul.
ture Is giving up these. and the re-
suit is certain.
! expect to see the day come when
q great live stock industry will be
built up In the South. Dairy and
beef cattle are at the very foundation
of successful agriculture the world
over. The trouble has been the slav-
ishpess Of our people to the one crop
system--coton-and the presence Of
the cattle tick, the latter making 1t
impossible almost to make the cattle
industry profitable. Several years ago
the department began the work Of
the eradication Of the cattle tick In
the infested area covering fifteen
States. this state being one Of them.
I am very much impressed with tho
promising results and have my whole
heart In the effort to secure large ap-
preparations to enable the department
to conduct q campaign against this
Southern pest which II is estimated Is
costing the South not less than one
hundred million per year. and this
State eight hundred thousand. The
appropriation for last year was one
hundred and fifty thousand dollars.
which was secured largely through
my efforts In the committee. This
year this appropriation was increas-
ed ONE hundred thousand dollars,
and do not think that there can be
found any one familiar with the facts
who will deny me the credit OF be-
Ing responsible for this increase. I
am just informed that seventeen In
spectors have been appointed to
cover Georgia and South Carolina
and "that the. majority Of these will
be used In South Carolina" Your
state legislature appropriated s.
900 to cooperate with the federal Cow
eminent In this work. II has al
ready been begun in several Of the
counties In the northern part Of the
State. II 10 my hope that during the
present year the quarantine line will
be moved 20 far down a. Columbia
and that the next year " % vii! see
the quarantine lifted from the South
Carolina cattle. and this. you under
stand. will give your catt.s acSess to
all OF the markets Of the world.
! have long felt that the solution
OF many Of the Ills ~ S'u,hern asri-
culture lies in. the diyersification Of
her, agricuitue. My observation To-
sether with the history of agriculture
convince me that no nation can rely
with confidence upon q one crop sys-
tenn as the basis Of its agricultural
welfare. The story Of the Northwest
with references TO wheat Is only a
repetition OF the conditions that have
existed In the South for years and
years. The Northwest depended en-
tirely upon wheat. II the crop were
good the farmers we're happy. IL It
happened to be bad. they were not.
and so IL In with us. II the seasons
are propiuous, we make money on
our cotton. II the rain comes arc
the grass grows and the op ir u
failure. there II a compiecc failure.
The iSc'rfne that have taught Is
that cotton as far as possible should
be made surplus crop. No farmer
can AFFORD to buy the ordinary neces-
stiles OF life, when they can be raised
upon his farm. No farmer can af-
ford to buy his meat in Chicago. or
his wheat and corn In Iowa when his
own soil 10 especially adapted to the
growing Of these. Farmers organi-
nations and farmers resolutions will
amount to nothing unless the farmer
himself had made hifself independent
OF his cotton drop. What we are try
Ing tn do for the South through the
department of agriculture. through
Its demonstration farm work. its soil
surveys. It's breeding work and all Of
that n IN hv.tn ha