Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-07-30
MAKING MONEY ON rhE FARM.

NO. 6l.
MAKING MONEY ON The FARM.
Diversified Crops, Better Treatment OF
Soil and Steady Work, Always Win.
Wishing to ascertain the present
condition Of South Carolina farmers,
the Charleston News and Courier
called upon its correspondents through
out the state, with results that are in
structive. Though at this season Of
the year many farmers who ordinarily
have money In bank have Withdrawn
their deposits for active use, reports
received show to farmers credit over
S., ,000, 900. or more than the total de-
posits Of all South Carolina banks in
1881. But, some bankers having re-
fused information and reports being
otherwise incomplete, the News and
Courier thinks that $10,000.000 more
nearly represents the correct total
than $5,000,000. In the seven banks Of
York county, just below Charlotte.
there is 100000 to the credit Of the
farmers. At Rock Hill alone the banks
hold to farmers credit from $4,000
to $4,000. In 'one Rock Hill bank
farmers have $4,000 to their credit.
And so the story goes. We do not
wonder to find a news summary Of
these reports declaring that "the ma
terial condition Of the farmers Of the
state, taken as a whole, is undoubted-
ly better than for some years past and
probably better than ever before" In
addition, benefit is expected from the
recent repeal Of the state lien law.
which made against thrift and for
debt.
The Observer quite agrees with a
comment Of the News and Courier
that farming certainly pays, and that
1t may be doubted whether any other
business pays better. And farming
prospects become more encouraging
still when we consider how much room
there is for Improvement in methods.
t.
doubtedly far behind the eastern,
northern and western farmer in the
intelligent application Of modern
methods. The southern farm worker
was lately producing. on an average.
about one-seventh as much In value
as the Iowan. Almost certainly he
does better than this now, but the
fact, for example, that by very simple
means he could double his acreage
yield in corn shows how opportunities
are still largely unused. Diversiflca-
tion, long recognized to be among his
chief needs, grows, though not as rap
idly as 1t might.
Perhaps the greatest need Of all Is
that the ruin and butchery Of the soil
should cease. Nowhere else on the
face Of the earth has farming land
been so recklsssly handled as in our
southern states. Fields which should
have produced increasingly rich crops
for centuries have often been worn
out"-which is to say, butchered-with-
In a few years, or perhaps even quilted
and washed away. To these unfortu-
nate results cheapness Of land and
cheapness Of labor both contributed;
in particular, the ignorant negro's low
efficiency has tended to drag down the
white mans efficiency and exert o
most unfavorable influence upon the
general standard. Now, however, the
white man is not resting content with
old ways, and the negro shows dis
position to follow him. For one thing,
land has grown too valuable to butch
er. CT course the southern farmer has
had to contend with hardships which
the farmer and people of other sections
quite escaped; chief among these,
apart from war and It's results, was
the lack Of local markets; but when
the cotton mill began converting COM
petitors into customers his economic
salvation became assured.
Year by year the southern farmers
position grows stronger. He shares
with the farmers Of the country at
large the benefit Of constantly rising
prices for foodstuffs and every other
commodity which he produces more
and more per acre to benefit by this
situation. He naturally has plenty Of
brains, and he is now learning how to
mix them with his farming. State
agricultural departments and agricul-
tural colleges serve the south well.
Within the past twelve years the de-
partment Of agriculture at Washing
ton, under Secretary Jas. Wilson, has
done much. Other factors for large
usefulness are publications like the
Progressive Farmer, which Is at pres
ent running a most valuable series Of
articles on. Five Hundred Dollars
More a Year"
Does farmin,- pay? Well, rather. 1t
Is hard to think Of any occupation
which will 80 well repay even a very
moderate expenditure Of brains and
an ayyxy ylnffa Nhoorx,or