The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-01-07
PROBLEM OF FARMER
THE ADVANCE SYSTEM" AN
ECONOMlC ERROR.
By Paying Cash For Supplies There
VIII Be Great Reduction in
Sales of Staple Articles.

Will Dc u SHOtIe
| Sales of Staple Articles.
For many years it has been the
custom of Southern farmers to make
their crop upon the advance sys-
ITEM" and while this has been re-
garded as an economic error on the
eide of the farmer, by many mer-
chants it has been thought that 1t
was very profitable way of buying
cotton.
| The farmer recalled that as mat
ter of safey it was better to make
the food consumed by his family
and his stock upon the farm ratner
than purchase it and especially when
he had to promise payment out of a
crop which had not as yet been made.
II have been watching this phase OF
country life in the South for many
years and have come to the conclu-
sion that the advance system" is
| just as great a mistake on the part
of the merchant as it is on the part
CT the farmer, for the following rea-
sons:
First, the merchant takes great
jlisks, which, Of course, he tries tc
cover by increased charges. But ev-
en- though these charges are IN
creased, the staples of life are not
such articles as a high percentage
Of profit will adhere to. and the
merchant is practically trading gold
for a promise to pay. II the crop
fails, he is obliged to carry and car
ry and carry and possibly may ulti-
mately, as 10 thousands Of cas-s.
be obliged to take the farm, for
which he has no use, and under boil
weevil conditions is difficult to han
die profitably upon tenant system.
Under a cash system there will be
a great reduction in the sales Of
some staple foods, such AS bacon.
potatoes, beans, lard, vegetables,
canned goods, hay, corn, etc., all ar
Eticles that carry low profits. The
farmer is rarely a hoarder of mon
ey and If he saves 5000 or more hy
producing all his food supplies at
home he has that much more to
spend when his crop is made, and
it is cash.
Under cash system the farmer
will buy with his surplus more dry
goods, clothing, shoes, furniture,
etc., for his family, better teams
farm implements. wagons, buggies,
etc., on which there is a much great
er profit for the merchant than on
staple articles of food. The mer-
chant can turn his money in thirty
days instead Of year. Ten per
cent clear profit turned monthly Is
better than 120 per cent gain re-
ceived annually. Some of the farm
ers increased income goes into per-
manent improvement to enable the
farmer to produce more and spend
more annually.
Again, there is something rails
ing cotton, tobacco, etc., to pay a
debt, that saps the vitality Of the
farmer and affects the quality OF
his tillage. vt really lowers the
grade of farming. If upon the other
hand the merchants will join with
us in urging farmers to raise ali
their food supplies and try to pro-
duce by better tillage, the result as
it affects the merchant will be this:
All business will soon be on a
cash basis and the volume will be
three or four times as large from the
farmers alone. The advent of more
money will bring diversified indus
tries among the farmers and eventu-
ally will attract manufacturers to
the market town.
If there are idle farms in the
county, instead of calling meetings
for the purpose Of raising funds to
secure immigration, call meeting to
encourage the farmers who know
the country and are loyal to it, to
universally adopt the following plan.
First, provide their own food sup
plies from the farm. Second, double
the average product on every acre
under cultivation and let each work
er on the farm by the use of better
teams and tools, till three times as
many acres as at present, not in the
one crop, but in variety Of diversi-
fed and profitable crops. This would
cause an immediate demand for
more land and would provide the
money to pay for it. This makes
every man on the farm more than
six times the industrial power he
now is and gives him love of the
farm. This. is Better than to leave
him in Encouragement and secure
immigrants TO come and buy him
| out.
l should not speak so positively,
only l have observed for quarter
of centuray that where the South
ern merchants have changed from dn
advanced system" to a cash system,
they have prospered very much more
than in former years and the num-
ber of failures is immensely less.
Of course, it is not meant that there
should be no credits, but practically
there should be little necessity for