The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-09-17
ADVICE TO FARMERS.


Farmers Union. requesting action
about the extortionatc price of cot
ton bagging and ties and the low price
of cotton seed, coupled with what are
thought to be discriminating regu-
lations agreed on by the Crushers'
Association and the Commissioner of
Agriculture. 1 have tried to answer
them all but as my answers go only to
the inquirers, / wish to say through
the papers that l see only two things
to do. AS to bagging and ties: buy
only enough to wrap the first green
cotton, sell the same at current prices
of II "a to 13 cents, and arrange to
quit until such time as the bagging
and ties can be bought at fair prices.
Pick the mature cotton dry and store
In the seed until you win the fight
two fights to win in this, lower bag
ging and ties and higher cotton
Spend all the time you can saving
hay and sowing winter cover crops for
hay next year to come in the last of
March and the first OF April, or two
months before the oat crop.
AS to cotton seed: Sell the seed
that are in danger of heating as fast
as ginned. Store in dry places all the
balance so as to have them absolute
ly sound, and wait until we see how
much the market for meal, oil and
hulls will warrant the mills paying. 1t
looks to me like $4,000 will soon be
fair price for sound seed, and the
market may go higher. People must
eat; they must be clothed" Do not
be In hurry, brother farmers, to
market yoIr crops. Take time to put
them in the most attractive shapes
And while you, on the one hand, re-
fuse to glut the markets, on the other
remember that the people must eat
and they must be clothed,' and soc to
1t that as far as you are concerned
they have a sufiiciency of your pro-
ducts to satisfy their needs. at reason
able prices.
In all your planning, take time to
organize your local unions, and time
to meet from week to week at the To-
cal school house to study and discuss
these and kindred subjects, that per-
tain to your welfare and the pros
perity of The country. Such individ-
ual and neighborhood work is worth
more than all the conventions that
can be held. And 1t is by such work
that the Farmers Union can best aid
you, and that my efforts and the ef-
forts OF the State and National Unions
can be made effective in the business
world.
But some one will say. 1--WE cannot
hold our seed or our cotton; we need
money to pay our debts" have heard
this often before and expect to hear
II again. Sometimes as an individ-
ual you cannot borrow the money to
withhold your crops. 1 know this to
be fact as we'll as any one does But
have you tried to organize? Have you
tried to pool your crops and have some
good business man among you, or q
committee of your best men, make
these arrangements for you? / know
of Instances where this has been done
To the satisfaction of all concerned. l
know that the oil mills would like to
deal directly with the farmer, if he will
join with his neighbors to make the
deals OF size to warrant. If you can
not. or will not. do this, if you can
not, or will not, organize and stick to-
gether. there Is no use for you to call
on me, or on the State and National
Unions, or the members OF congress,
to help you.
The state and National officials Of
the Farmers Union are ready to give
yon all the help you need towards or
ganization, but we must insist that
you upon whom these burdens are
falling, take steps to meet us half
way We are planning for the or
Sanization of rural credit system in
South Carolina that will give our pco-
pie everything that il best in the old
world systems, adapted to our condi-
tions. We are planning for a prac-
tical purchasing agency that will give
: TO every member the benefits of buy .
ingf i'm qautitics
We are planning for practical mar
keting of your produce, and "a system
of warehouses To handle your cotton
and seed. We have much worked out
along these lines Your attitude will
determine whether we succeed or not.
If ypu are interested, send state Sec
tary i. WhiHer Reid, Columbia, S.
c.. list of your neighbors who will
i.,iY -.