The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-08-17

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for bacon over $13.OOO,Oo for dairy
products over $12,OO0,O00, for flour
over $20,000,000 and most of it
pledched at that, for corn $6,0OO,O0O,
for hay 100000 and for oats ST.
ooooOO, making a total of s6S,35O,-
o00. All of this was taken out of
our pockets to make other .rmers
prosperous. Most of this money has
gone to the middle West to build I'D
fine cities, beautiful country houses
and roads that enable the farmers
to speed over the country in their
automobiles. Adding to the above
over s17,000,O00 for fertilizer, we have
a grand total of $S5,OOO.OOO expendi-
lures. The cotton crop which was
a record-breaker last year in the way
of profits, was only sold for sS9,-
100000. We had balance of nearly
s4.00o,O0o in our favor, but had it
not been for the large corn crop, the
balance would probably have been on
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day. Our crop last year was worth
$33,300,000. We are on the right
road. Experience with corn shows
it. The $500 boys enrolled in the
Boys Corn clubs are helping. Edu-
cation is playing an important part.
This has been the pioneer school along
the right lines and we must have
many more like it. Although the
influence which Gen. Sumter exerted
was very great indeed, believe it is
possible for this school to exert a
greater influence.
II am not opposed to raising cotton.
7 want the acreage in cotton decreased
but the yield per acre increased, so
that we shall be able to supply the
demand. There is no commodity
sent to market with so high a degree
of ignorance lowering around it. The
manufacturer is anxious to deal with
the farmer but not with gamblers.
The foreign manufacturer he's been so
dealt with that he wouldn't buy. q
pound from an individual, but they
would buy it through the union. It
cost us the enormous sum of s60,O00,-
600 to market our crop. Good roads
would cut this sum in half, and by
following up the first law of civil
ization, cooperation, the major por-
ton of this sum could be saved"
The next thing on the programme
was dinner. After everybody had sat
, isfied their appetites, the Sumter Ag-
ricultural society was called to order
by its president, A. K. Sanders. After
the roll call, the first work taken up
was report of the committee on con-
stitutiOn and bylaws. The report af-
ter being read and discussed was
adopted as whole. Then solicitations
for new members resulted in a most
gratifying increase of members. There
was marked evidence Of increased in
terest and widening influence of the
society, and that this organization has
come to stay.
There was one unlocked for fea-
ture of the meeting. At the conclu-
sion of the addresses Col. j. J. Dar-
gan, introduced a resolution memo
rializing the legislature to memo
rialize congress to disarm at once the
battleship South Carolina and con-
vert her into a merchant man and to
use the funds now used in maintain
ing the battleship on the rural agri-
cultural schools in South Carolina.
The resolution caused some discus
sion, which was more or less heated
Col. Dargan resented any opposition,
and when Mr.. L. I. PARROT, clerk
of court, said that he opposed the
resolutions, that the farmers had not
come there for any such purpose and
he was opposed to any such propo-
sition going out, Col. Dargan became
irritated and threatened the officer
with political death, telling him that
when the next election for clerk of
court comes off that the incumbent
will be blown up. Mr.. PARROT re-
piled that he would be at the blow
ing up. A vote was taken and two
votes were recorded in favor Of the
resolution. That put an end to it for
the present.