The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-07-02
TENANT FARM COOPERATION.
PRACTICAL OPERATION or sYS-
TEN ON ITALIAN ESTATE.
share Choppers by Conducting Busi-
ness ON Cooperative Principles Make
Living and Realize u Profit Tn
4. der Conditions That I'm America
Would Entail Failure.

cultural Cooperation visited one of
the model farms OF northern Italy to-
day. II is the property Of the Count
al PontL
The estate comprises about 1000
acres which is an unusually large
holding for Italy. although a member
CT the Commission was able to inform
the Count di Ponti that ne owned
farm OF 1000 acres In Texas, without
considering himself a curiosity.
The farm L. divided into two parts,
an irrigated portion which the prio-
prietor reserves for his own use for
dairy farming. and dry portion
rented on the share basis. known in
Italy as the "mezzadri" system.
The visit of the Americans was
made a holiday for the laborers and
farm hands although enough men
were kept at work to demonstrate
the cooperative enterprises on the
farm. Automobiles OF the American
party swept into farm yard en-
closed by brick house, the porches
OF which gave vivid scene of drying
clothes. bandanas. wrinkied old peas
ant women. smiling men and a swarm
Of curious children. Fourteen fami-
lies are hired by tie proprietor to
farm his part OF the estate. Nothing
OF interest from the cooperative
standpoint was learned on this part
of the farm. The Commission was
therefore taken TO the dry" part
where live the tenants.
The score OF families which are en-
gagged In farming this portion OF the
estate live In n little village and here
the members OF the Commission
were given their first view Of the
many possible phases OF agricultural
cooperation. Men. women and chill.
dren were lined up along the little
street; hats and bandanas were wav-
ed In welcome. and the little children
murmured their half frightened
"Graci" when coppers were slipped
into their hands. This part of the
estate is divided into holdings OF
about 80 acres each.
The principal money products of
the little farms are cheese and silk
worms. Each farmer raises enough
OF general farm crops to support his
family, but most OF his attention is
given to dairying and to raising silk
worms. The cheese Is made In a
plant comparatively owned by the
farmers and built with their own
money. Three men were at work
making Swiss cheese at the time. The
farmers bring their milk 10 the dairy
whero IL is wighed and marked to
their credit According to the amount
OF milk given to the dairy the farm
ers receive percentage of the pro-
nts derived from the sale of the
cheese. The waste from the milk
used In the cheese making is fed to
hogs comparatively owned. which
when fattened. are killed In an alb
eatoir likewise comparatively owned,
for nothing Is lost on an Italian farm.
There In also a sausage factory. Ev-
erything these farmers buy comes
from a comparatively owned store.
The warehouse held familiar types of
American agricultural machinery. The
std worms are turned over to the
proprietor who takes a certain portion
of the cocoons as his share. All OF
the farming Is done on q share basis,
the proprietor putting up the build
ings. toe farmers contributing the Ia
Dor and the farm products being di-
vide1 between them. II was plainly
evident that tho Count oil Ponti was
very popular with his tenants. Some
years ago when his tenants were re-
quirtd To strike because OF general
strike OF all tenant farmers in that
vicinity. he was elected by his tenants
president OF the strike committee. so
that to him fell the odd task of set
thing a strike against himself.
Undoubtedly the paternalism
which exists In the comparatively con-
Quoted enterprises OF this type pre-
vents Americans from receiving many
Impressions OF practical value from
them. But " made a great impression
upon the delegates. that farmers OF
this class could be brought to such
comparative economic Independence
through the medium OF cooperation.
Above all the extreme utilization OF
everything impressed the Americans.
No trees are cut down for fuel. for
instance. Each year as many branch
es are cut off az are necessary and
'Ne next year me same process is fol-
Lowell with other trees. This gives
the country "a curlously fantastic APP
pearance when viewed from a car