The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1913-11-05

cotton belt. 1t sweeps the earnings of
toll from the masses into the Golfers
of the few. Some years ago the COM
missioner Of agriculture OF Georgia,
after careful inquiry of several hun
dred, found that the average rates
charged the farmers for extension OF
credit from April and May to October
and November was 81 per cent. per
'annum over and above the cash price.
Wives and children were compelled to
work in the heat and cold from Jan.
uary until December to pay the "a per
cent. credit profits. Diversihcation OF
crops will abolish the credit system.
We are sending millions of dollars
TO other sections of the country every
year to pay for pork products, mules,
horses n other farm products. Di.
,versifcation OF crops will keep this
money at home, our banks will soon
ibe full to overlooking and the rate Of
interest lowered to say 6 per cent. be-
cause of the abundance of money.
Then we will have the necessary
money to pay good teachers better sal.
aries to teach longer terms, to build
comfortable homes and good roads
and properly equip u farms.
Diversification Is the only remedy
for low-priced cotton. There is no
sane man who does not know that we
win get more money for 10000. 900
than we will for $4,000, 900 bales. The
history Of the past 20 years is proof
positive Of this statement. We all
know that large crops Of cotton mean
a low price and hat a low price for
cotton means poverty and wretchod.
ness all over the cotton belt. This be-
ing true, why will our farmers and
their wives and children toll in the
heat and cold in large cotton fields to
grow large crops OF cheap cotton to
pay for high-price corn, oats, bacon,
lard, mules and other farm products
with the profits of several middle men,
supply merchants and railroads added?
The growing OF every farm product
necessary for home g will curtail the
production Of cotton, raise the price
to at least IL cents per pound and
enable us to use the money obtained
for cotton to build good roads, mag
nificent homes, churches and school
houses and fill our banks to overflow
ing. Life on the farm will then be
free, unfettered by the bands Of prom
fssory obligations and our position in
the world made conspicuous by that
independence which the farmer alone
can enjoy in tho fullest significance
OF the term.
Every farmer should raise his own
framework stock. 1t Ia true that mil
lions are sen out Of the cotton belt
each year for mules and horses, but
this 10 not the main "a why your
attention Is called to this subject at
this time. Probably one Of the two
chief causes Of poverty in the cotton
belt is the one-horse pillow. The small
mule and a turning pillow Ia a guarantee
of shallow soil devoid OF vegetable
matter. A shallow soil devoid of veg
etable matter means small crops and
poor farmers.
Farmers who buy their work stock
never have enough for the econom-
cal production Of crops. We have
about one-fourth the horse power
and earn about one-fourth as much
money as farmers in some other Sec
lions of the country.
Farmers who buy feed stuffs to feed
pillow teams eve raise sufficient farm
work stock to supply their needs. We
buy feed stuff and this is the main
reason why we have about orafourth
as many horses and mules as farm
ers in other sections Of the country.
We can ave the millions of dollars
paid out for mules and horses each
year and bring in millions from the
sale Of mules and horses, but a great
or profit will come from securing In
this way sufficient work stock for
economical crop production.