The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1910-03-02
Southern Farmers Opportunity.

The stock OF money in this country
Is today approximately $3.50, 600 900.
Ten years ago it was $2,340 900 900.
This is a gain Of $79O.OOO,O0O, or ap-
proximately 80 per cent.
Authoritative statistics show that
the 1909 wheat crop was S.3 bushels
per capita, against S.63 bushels per
capita ten years ago; the corn crop
dropped from 34.9 ind 800 bushels per
capita; the oats cropt from 1874 to IL Il
bushels per capita; the hay crop from
1 ton to 34 Of ton per capita; and
the number of food animals, swine
cattle and sheep, fell from 25 to 10
per capita.
In the matter Of meats the govern
ment returns issued on the 25th of
January shows, under the head OF
swine (hogsl that the total supplies
in 1900, Of 54,OO0,COO fell to $4,000, 900
in 1910, decrease of nearly Is per
cent. Other cattle, in 1909, $4,000 900
fell to 47,000,000 in 1910
The number of cattle killed under
the inspection law in the United
States in 1907 was 7,621717, in 1909
it had fallen to 7325,337; during the
same period there was an increase in
the number of calves killed from L.
763,574 to 2,046,713. The receipts of
hogs at the markets fell 1873 per cent.
from 1908 to 1909. When the panic of
1907 came on many Of the farmers in
the West sold their hogs because food
was too high to feed them and these
Drooding herds have not been replaced.
In the matter of the production of
fruits, the leading and standard (be
cause it keeps longer) apples, in the
United States, have fallen from 6S.-
100000 barrels in 1866 to 21,OO0 900
barrels in 1909
Here is money, per dollar, decreas-
ing in it's purchasing power because
Oh 50 per cent. Increase in volume.
Here is an increasing deficit in the
field food crop per capita. Here is
marked decrease in hogs and cattle
supply. Here is decrease in the
leader among all the fruits (apples)
OF approximately 20 per cent
On the top of all this is an average
tariff of GO per cent on al foreign
food stuffs.
AS result Of all these things-the in
creased supply of money, the decreas-
ed supply of all food stuffs, and the
tarif-the prices of beef, pork, and
its by-products, mutton, chickens
eggs, butter and milk, and all other
tood products-taken on an average
have never been as high as now barr
ing OF course the war prices of the
6o's. Is not this the Southern farmers
golden opportunity?
The Telegraph has shown in pre-
Vious articles that in 1860, when the
population in Georgia was 1.O57. .2SG
there We're in this State 2,036,116 hoks.
In 1907, with population Of 2,7C0, 900
there were only 100000 hogs. With
In the opulation fore than dubbed. the
number Of hogs has been reduced
nearly one-half!
The Telegraph has shown that. in
1850, there were 299,6SS milk COWS. In
1907, 3OS,00-an increase only of g.
312. That in 1860, there were oxen
and other cattle, 7O6,194. In 1907.
,000-decrease Of 26,104! That in
1860, there were 512.61S sheep. In
1907, 269,000-a decrease of 343,61S!
These figures are surprising, and yet
they are based on actual statistics
returns.
The Telegraph has shown that in
1890, when Georgia's farmers owned
l,627,OOS swine. In 1907, when the
population had increased to 2,7O0 900
the swine owned by Georgia farmers
decreased to 1,599,00-a loss Of 2S,-
OOS. That in 1909, the sheep owned by
Georgia farmers numbered 411,S76. In
1907 they had decreased TO 100000
loss of approximately one half! That
in 1890, Georgia owned 354,61S mich
COWS. In 1907 the number fell to 3O8,-
O00-a loss of 46,6lS.
All of these figures are amazing
but they are collected from the most
reliable sources. They call to the
farmer with irresistible eloquence and
force. They cry aloud to them to plant
less cotton and more grain; to raise
more cattle and hogs-not as a patri-
otic thing but as proflt-making busi-
ness. 1t is the farmers opportunity.
His day has come If he is wise enough
to read the signs of the times and
take advantage of it