The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-08-23
Money i'm Tobacco.

Times. Under the management of
Mr.. Louis A. Beatty, the Times has de-
veloped into one of the liveliest and
most progressive of county newspa-
for agricultural progress in George
town county. Its present campaign to
build up the tobacco industry in
Georgetown carries conviction.
This is true because The Times does
not depend upon sweeping generalities
but backs up it's claim that George
town Is tobacco county with num-
bers of concrete examples easy Of ver-
ihcation. For the benefit Of farmers
in other lower counties who are
thinking Of trying tobacco some of
the cases cited by The Times are
worth reproduction.
The first of these relates to the ex-
perience Of Mr.. NJ. A. Barnes, who
farms in Georgetown county near
RHEIMS, his farm being fourteen miles
ioAi Neoi 6cto"H. since the eStaD-
lishment of a market at Hemir gway
ne sells his tobacco there Formerly
says The Times, he hauled all the way
10 Lake City, the trip requiring two
nights and q day. Even with the
handicap Of that long trip" it is stat
ed, "he made tobacco pay. The open
ing at Hemingway has given him a
nearer market, meaning more profit
from his tobacco" This year Mr..
Barnes planted four acres in tobac-
CO. He estimates that he will get
from this four acres as much as he
would have gotten from twenty acres
of cotton, with less work and less
trouble. In an experience of fifteen
years growing tobacco he declares
that he has never yet lost anything
on a tobacco crop. He is thoroughly
pleased with the way in which he
has come out this year. Last week
for instance, he sold q one horse load
Of tobacco for S1SO.1O. 1t was not
his best tobacco and he would have
been satisfied with a return of So for
the load.
Another Georgetown farmer, Mr.. L.
j. Powers, of Carvers Bay, expects
to realize as much from three acres
which he has planted in tobacco as
on fifteen acres Of cotton, with less
work. He says that the crop of peas
which he intends to grow on the land
in which tobacco was planted will
pay the cost of the tobacco crop
There are fifteen tobacco barns in
Carver's Bay now. The Times esti-
mates that the number will be dou-
bled before next season.
| How profitable tobacco can be mad !,
is further illustrated in the exper-
ience of Mr.. B. B. Chandler, another
Georgetown county farmer who re-
Gently carried a two-horse wagon load
of tobacco to Hemingway. The load
came from selected stock from four
acres of land. He had taken pains
with the selection of seed, with the
cultivation OF the weed, with the grad
ing, and all other details. When the
sale had been perfected and all ex-
penses paid. Mr.. Chandler had, cash
| in hand, $70O-for one wo-horse load
of tobacco! That represents the value
] nf no Of
or the product of about twenty eight
acres of land. And Mr.. Chandler had
made it on four acres of tobacco with
still other loads to be sent to market
from the same land. Mr.. Chandler
is planting cotton to pay the farm.
expenses. His tobacco will give him
all clear profit from the farm"
The Times quotes IAN old tobacco
grower" one who has made thirteen
crops in the neighborhood of George.
town as, saying that he can grow to-
bacco successfully at an average price
of nine cents a pound, and that he
would prefer to grow tobacco at even
eight cents to growing cotton at ten
cents. Prices in the markets nearest
20 Georgetown tobacco growers range
from twelve cents to forty-five cents
and fifty cents the pounds.
The Times expects to see a new inn
pulse given to tobaccO-growing in
Georgetown county and it is arguing
fOrcefully for the establishment Of a
tobacco market in Georgetown. We
hope that it will be successful. The
farmers Of Eastern South Carolina arc
realizing more and more how advan-
tageous tobacco-growing can be made
1t has been wonderful stimulus to
the prosperity of counties like Horny
and Williamsburg and Cour~
er.