The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-09-14

IL has been but little while since
we ran across the story Of how farm
ers around Shreveport. Ala, last
winter for the frst time found them
selves with corn to sell instead Of to
buy-a thing the railroads had never
even contemplated--with the result
that freight rates had to be readjust-
ed. as they were, and hundreds Of
cars Of 1909 corn were shipped out
OF Shreveport. while from the depot
at Belcher station alone fourteen cars
OF hogs were shipped to Fort Worth.
Straws show which way the wind
blows-and also which way the tide
flows. and straws like this show how
the tide Is turning In the South. An
other straw, and q big one. which
shows how the tide Is turning and
the new day dawning In the South,
Is this letter just received from DR..
L. s. Rogers. OF West. Miss. What
the farmers Of this little Mississippi
another once sleepy Southern ham,
let or village are now getting ready
to do-and why not the farmers in
your neighborhood. Mr.. Subscriber?
We quote DIR. Rogers letter as fol-
lows:
From what 1 see In your paper,
think you are doing a great work
for the farmers of Mississippi. There
IL no questioning the fact that there
Is a great revolution going on in
farming methods.
There were more sulky riding
plows. disk plows. riding cultivators,
smoothing harrows. etc. sold here this
year than In the ten preceding years.
People are buying binders. seeders.
drills, threshers. More oats were
sown and threshed than ever before.
More hog wire sold. More improv-
ed hogs and cattle bought than ever
before.
This being true. any one can see
that there Is a great change being
worked oIt by our farmers. That II
will be for the good OF the whole
country. no one denies. Our Board
OF Supervisors at last meeting. pass
ed an ordinance to undertake to
eradicate the cattle tick. This is a
great step forward for Holmes coun-
~. 1t Is hoped that the adjoining
counties OF Carroll and Attala will do
likewise.
1T might be of interest to your
readers 10 know how much butter,
eggs. poultry and beef are shipped
from this point (West.) These fig
ures are direct from the books OF l.
c. r. r. Co. given me by the agent,
January 1st TO August 1st, 1873
pounds OF butter. SIS cases OF eggs,
1890 pounds OF poultry; So carloads
OF cattle IN last IL months. This at
same rate balance Of year, and at zoe.
per pound for butter. zoe per dozen
fOr eggs g 1-2c. per pound for poul-
try, $500 per car for cattle. foots up
about $4,000 that this brings 10 our
little town per year. With very lit
tie effort from the dreaded boil weevil
Il could be increased ten times"
There are many good points I'm this
iatter-in fact II Is as full Of good
points os a pin cushlon-but the best
one of all Is that which tells Of the
fine shipments Of cattle and dairy
products There's no getting away
from the fact that the only way 10
get profitable agriculture i'm the
Cotton states. or anywhere else un.
der Heaven. Is 10 raise stock along
With our field crops. We might as
welt try TO fight against the stars I'm
their course as fight against the fun
domental law.
The plant feeds on the soil. the
animal feeds on the plant. and the
. fertility goes back To the soil. This
H. the Almighty's trlnity-the plant
tho animal the soil--ovcr and over
again In unendlng cycles. II the earth
Il 20 be kept fruitful. Any sort of
farming that tries 10 exist with only
two OF the three-the soil and the
plant-flies In the face OF Nature and
of Providence and can only end in
failure and In povcrty-Progressi
Farmer"