The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1913-12-03
GOOD CORN STATE
SOUTH CAROLINA PRODUCES 20
BUSHELS TO ACRE

NATIONAL AVERAGE 22.
This State Goes Ahead Of Missouri
| and Nebraska in Corn Produced to
the Acre-State's Crop This Year
Reaches Forty Million Bushels, Ac-,
cording to Government Figures.
cat last on the United States fig
ures," says Commissioner E. J. Wat
son, "the production OF corn per acre
in the State of South Carolina is
within two bushels of the average for
the United States. This year South
Carolina has left Georgia far behind,
has gone a step ahead of Missouri
and Nebraska, Is running neck and
neck with Kentucky and Tennessee,
and is within six bushels per acre Of
the average in Illinois. In other
words, the Federal Government has
at last credited this State with an
average yield of 20 bushels to the
acre, which is five bushels better
than the average for>the last 0 years
and two bushels better than for last
year.
when the Government recently
issued it's preliminary estimate Of
the South Carolina corn crop, along
with that of the other states" said
Col. Watson, az stated that pre-
liminary estimate was farcical and
that I proposed to challenge it before
the Secretary Of Agriculture. am
gratified to say that this was not
necessary for before I had done so
the Federal government had examin-
ed the returns of the corn crop up to
November l, and had issued its new
estimate of the American corn crop
for the year 1913 and that estimate
will hardly be changed. The results
as now announced by the Federal
Government are gratifying, partic-
ularly when we consider that this
year the total corn crop of the nation
is only 2,463,o17,000, against 3,124,
756,0OO last year.
'In other words, this year corn
means good money to South Carolina
farmers if they hold it for the spring
demand. The fact that we have in
creased the South Carolina crop this
year as compared to last year by 2,
566,G00 bushels, shows that the effect
of the Corn Exposition and the hard
campaigning of the last few years in
the matter Of growing something 9th
er than cotton is bearing golden fruit.
Personally, I believe the crop is ac-
tually over 100000 bushels now,
"Our crop this year is nearly dou-
bic that Of Kansas and in volume
it is reaching out after the crop Of
Pennsylvania, Virginia and other
leading producing states notwith-
standing South Carolina is one Of the
smallest States in the Union grow
! ing both corn and cotton. With the
! tobacco crop we have had this year
and with the corn crop and With
out any regard whatever to what the
cotton crop will bring, the increase
over last year is almost as large in
millions Of dollars as the entire sur
plus that the farms Of the State
have heretofore had on all crops at
the end Of the year after paying for
the foodstuff and fertilizers hat they
used.
Take it all in all never since the
work of rehabilitating agriculture In
South Carolina was begun have the
farmers of the State approached the
end Of the year with more substain-
tial and gratifying results measured
in dollars and cents. and dollars and
Gems buy comforts in the farm home,
buy pianos, buggies. etc, and enable
the farm family to improve their
class of living. and when they do
that. that means Improvement on
every other line. Surely the masses
of the people Of South Carolina have
every good reason to lay aside their
cares for the moment on Thursday
next and participate in general sea-
son of thansgiving."
In the matter of quality, the aver
age being represented by 100, the
government gives South Carolina
100. In the matter Of farm prices
for corn on October l the government
gives the figure at 103 per bushel.
In only two other states in the Union
does cotton bring higher price and g,
they are small states that grow prac-
tica!ly no corn and are distant from
the centre Of productions; namely,
New Mexico and Rhode Island. The
average farm price on October 1 in
the United States for corn was 1873
per bushel. This being true the ac-
tual money value OF the South Caro-
lima crop Will exceed the money value
Of the crops Of a number of states
which show larger total production.
Surely South Carolina is rapidly
becoming the best country in which
the farmer can live As Commission
er Watson said at Mobile. speaking
Of the future Of the South upon the
opening Of the Panama Canal, farms
make freight; freight makes COM
merce: commerce makes any country
great and the people Of that country
prosperous and happy"