Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1911-06-28
Observation-Disclosures. .s..ss.s..s..s..s..s..s..s.
!. FARMERS UNION BUREAU. j.
eSs..se .s..s..f..I.ss..S. .s.e3..S.3.ii. i.i..s.
Farmers Union Mt Work Again.

'S'SS'Vy'S''t''S''S''S' s"tss5Ssts
Farmers Union Mt Work Again.
Back yonder, just before the Far
mers' Union was organized, the farm
Ing interests of the South were at
the lowest, most discouraging stage
that we had experienced since the
war left the South in the most desc
late and demoralized condition
known in Its history. Our grcat sta
pie crop (cotton) had so completely
absorbed our attention and efforts
for years that we suddenly woke up.
turned about to view our situation,
when 1t was found that the South
had on hand the largest cotton crop
ever known; prices were founder
ing about from to Z II cents per
pound, and cotton bears said, 1--WE
VIII get 1t for s cents" The demand
for supplies to produce this bumper
cotton crop was SO great that every
thing necessary to grow and harvest
this tremendous crop had gone up In
price and the whole agricultural in
terests Of the South was long on cot
ton and short on everything else
Panic and dire distress stared not
only the farmer in the face, but the
merchant, the banker, the fertilizer
men, the Mule men, and absolutely
every other man or woman interested
went down into the calculation that
soon convinced everybody that scent
cotton would bust the whole South.
Five cents cotton would not pay for
dollar corn, 20 cents meat, 81 hay,
high-priced fertilizer, and 81 labor
Mule notes and mortgages began to
look more like dry bones than even
thirty cents. Instead of the mer-
chant and banker turning their col
al-cotton-into greenbacks,
the banker, merchant, and all other
1nterests-"the whole family"-..got
to looking green themselves. Every
body agreed that something had to
be done, and then came conventions
OF all interested in cotton and these
conventions led the way for forming
the farmers into the Farmers Union,
and all other cotton interests into the
cotton association" and hence the
slogan 10 cents for cotton" by
everybody, and we finally got the 10
cents for cotton. The five cents pro-
position proved to be the fierce prod
that suddenly awakened the old cot
ton bull-the farmer-from his long
doze, and when he did get into the
arena for " ten cents cotton or there
is nothing doing this bull-raging
won out. But the Farmers Union
soon saw and realized the fact that
this vigorous sentiment was kin to
bluff, and that this "pop-gunning at
the thing was neither war nor
peace" and that cotton bears whip
ped by bluff would not stay whipped,
If we were long on cotton and short
on hay, grain, hog and hominy; that
we should diversity crops by growing
more acres in home supplies and
fewer acres In cotton.
The Farmers Union got in, behind
the farm demonstration work to
show our "all cotton" farmers how
to raise corn and hogs and other
farm stock, and the food for the
same, and the results are before us
to-day. South Carolina now has the
largest crop Of grain and more hogs
than ever produced before, and the
union is in 1t all. We have more
corn clubs and hog clubs and other
stock, dairy associations than ever
known before, and the Farmers
Union Is foremost and in it all.
The Farmers Union won 10 cents
cotton by bluff and the aid of vigor-
Gus sentiment Of Southern interests.
The union won 12 cents cotton with
corn and oats, and the Farmers Un-
Ion and the whole South has won
B cents cotton by general diversi-
fication of crops, and the only way to
maintain profitable prices for cotton
Is to keep the farm demonstration at
1T on diversification of crops. Never
talk about less cotton to the farm,
but insist on growing the. same
amount of cotton on one-third less
acres or one-half the number of
acres, and the balance in food crops.
Keep the union strong by pruning