The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1909-11-04
LESSONS FOR THE FARMER.

Cut Down the Acreage and the Prices
Will Stay High.
The year 1909 has been a strenu-
GUS one for the farmers all over the
South. In very few sections has any
thing like normal conditions prevail
ed. In the West excessive drouth, in
the East excessive rain, followed by
drouth. The great Emerson says:
Il ought to be equal to every relation
in life" This is a very high stand
ard, but the farmer should learn to
be equal to the conditions and emer-
gencies that surround him in his
work. We have never seen such
striking contrasts as in 1909. Why?
We have had plenty of moisture, and
moisture coupled with manure and
cultivation gives us the maximum
yield; while with the lack of these
she simply ruins the crops. You will
see one man who had in only fifteen
or twenty acres to the plow and he
had a fine crop. His neighbor who
endeavored to cultivate thirty or
forty acres was lost in the grass.
So it seems to us that one
forcible lesson to be learned from
1909, is not to undertake to cultivate
80 much land to the plow. Our land
lords should encourage their tenants
to cultivate less.
1-o ehD,,1a 1oorn 1ocaOn qS
to the price of cotton. AS soon as 1t
was definitely known that we had re-
duced the area cents cotton went
up. When it was further known that
Providence had reduced the yield by
sending excessive drouths in Texas
and rains East of the Mississippi,
then prices went to still higher
level. Then what should we learn?
That it is up to us to regulate the
supply according to the demand a
fair price. We are not against ware
housing and holding for better prices;
these are means that all who are able
should employ; but we want all In
'The Union" and out of ''The Union"
to note how much easier it is for us
to get good price for cotton when
natural conditions favor us, than
when they are against us. There is
right and natural way to do them.
In every community that we 60
into we find some farmer who like
the wise Mary, "has chosen the bet
ter part" and gradually cut loose
from the all cotton system and grows
his supplies at home-growing his
own corn, oats and hay-raising some
special line of live stock, or growing
some special crop for local or North
ern markets and invariably this farm
er is free from the grass and strain
that attends his neighbors. The de-
mand for foodstuff is universal. We
have a large ready demand right on
our own farms; then why can not we
grow it as cheaply as some other
Northern or Western farmer? It is
simply the learning how and doing 1t.
We see various farmers who are
growing corn as cheaply as any Wes-
tern farmer, and many raising cattle
and hogs as cheaply as any Northern
farmer. You can never do it until
you begin to learn how.
We have been simply astonished to
see how well some farmers have come
out under the adverse conditions sur
rounding us this year. 1t shows that
many are becoming more efficient
farmers. We certainly congratulate
all such. To those who have failed
we would say, do not give up, misfor-
tunes attend the lot of all simply
resolve to try again and learn to do
better. The general condition Of our
farmers is far from gloomy. Our peo-
pie are building upon f1rmer foun-
dation, and the shocks of panics and
the outward seasons will endanger us
less. The farmer who is not badly in
debt is not hurt; so we must learn to
get out and stay out of debt. Half
of our ills disappear WIN we get on a
cash basis. We heard one farmer
down in Decatur county say Of his
neighbor: "He has enough money in
the bank to grow another crop II he
did not get dollar out Of this one.
And he made all his money farming;
he even bought his farm on credit
and made the money with which to
pay for it." Adverse seasons do not
injure this class Of farmers very
much.
What encourages US most is to see
the deep and almost universal inter-
est that is being aroused for better
farming in the South. This spirit
pervades all classes. In talking to a
merchant who has made money sell
ing provisions to farmers on time, he
said: II am anxious to see our farm
ers grow their own corn, because l
know it means prosperity for them.
1 once thought it was to my interest
to sell them their corn but now I see
it is not, for they have less money to
spend for other merchandise and I
could sell them something else for
the money that they pay me for corn
and I would be better of and so
would they in the comforts they
would have in their homes and better
equipments upon their FARMS" So
even the time merchant feels an in
test in successful farming in the
South.
But in the last analysis it is up to
the individual farmer. We want you
to review the situation and If possible
Il -