The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-04-24
FARMERS
UNION NEWS
Practical Thoughts for Practical
Farmers.
Conducted by r. w. Dabbs. Pr~s-
ident =. G. Farmers Unisa.)
DIVERSIFICATION IN FARMING
Essay Written by Chas. Richard Jur-
man Beall i'm City National Bank
Prize Contest.

one or at most. two crops. But what
We have to consider in this ESSAY is
the merits Of the one crop system as
that word is used in the South where
We live and the system by which
farmers grow about everything they
need or may sell to others who do not
raise anything but who must eat. The
latter is diversifcation.
The merits of the two systems can
be seen only by comparing them, not
only in theory but in practice. For
We find that when men talk about the
two systems, nearly every man will
admit that the diversification system
Is the most reasonable and should
bring the best results. But when we
look around we see that nearly all
men follow too closely the one crop
system. In this State and the en-
tire cotton belt, men will tell you that
we have a natural monopoly on cot
ton in the South and that, therefore.
we ought to plant mainly cotton and
with the money got by selling cotton,
buy the others things we need and
must have. But neither reason nor
experience confirms this view of
things Let us put together the ar
guments or reasons that favor the
system of diversification in farming.
First, where men grow one or even
two crops only, they are subject to
periods of great suffering when that
crop or those crops fail. We see an
instance Of this fact in our experience
In the cotton belt the past year. We
raised the largest cotton crop in the
history of the world; and in con-
sequence we were impoverished by
our plenty. so to speak. We could not
In many, if not most cases, pay the
| cost of the crop with it. And if it had
not been that we raised some corn
and other things to eat and had some
| credit. we would now be dependen,
upon the charity of the world. I,
was diversifiaction that saved us from
this fate. We found that we had
| raised too much cotton. the world
would not buy it for what it cost, we
had very little to eat and the situa-
| tion affords the strongest argument
| for the system Of diversification that
the South has ever had. 1t may be
seen then that the more closely the
South follows the one-crop system the
more likely we are to face an occas-
ional famine Of every thing that we
really need to sustain life ard make
us happy Comparing our State with
the West where they produce the
food Of the world. we find them hap
py and prosperous. 1t will thus be
seen too that a one-crop system is a
disastrous one in proportion to the
rank the crop takes as a supporter of
life. If we had produced a surplus
Of the good things Of life, the things
that Immediately support life, we
would have been much better off, for
We would at least have been able to
live at home.
If it were the case that the one
crop grown by any community can
be grown so much more cheaply than
all others that it pays better to buy
the others, the argument for one
crop system would have considerable
weight of which it is deprived here in
the South. We have demonstrated
In many places and times that we
can grow here in South Carolina
about everything that we need and at
cost that leaves a very large profit.
The South has grown more corn to
the acre than the bOasted corn belt
more oats than the oats belt; cheaper
hogs than the pork belt; as good
mules at as small cost "a ne horse
the best anywhere when they have
the range and attention that the cat
tie expert would provide for them
anywhere else. Our grazing facilities
very easily can he made to
surpass those of any other portion of
the United States. There is not a
month In the year when our cattle
may not Craze the open fields, and as
Tor winter feeds. we have the most
valuable In the world i'm cotton seed
meal and hulls which the Northern
states find II profitable to use after
paying freight on them for thousand
miles. We have the best market in
the world for dairy products and
meats, for horses and mules and al