The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-08-20

Hanson Plan.
"a lecture delivered by ID. n. Cox.
er OF Hartsville before the students
and faculty OF the University of
South Carolina)
When the university authorities
planned the course of agricultural
lectures which have been given here
during the past year and half. they
were. think, proceeding under the
theory that some knowledge of the
basic principles of agriculture should
be part OF the equipment OF every
educated man. The general prosper
ity of our country is very largely
based on the success OF the farmer.
None of US Is Independent of him
Merchant. manufacturer, professional
man, salaried man. laborer-all pros.
per I'm proportion 10 the money value
OF the crops. so every citizen has a
direct interest i'm agriculture and
should be In a position to use his
Influence intelligently in its behalf
Another reason for giving this
course OF lectures Is that, whether
you know IL va not. quite a number
OF you ar, going to become farmers.
i presume that n fair proportion of
you expect 20 follow agriculture as a
profession, but some who do not now
suspect IL will some day derive their
incomes directly from the soil A
very large proportion OF the young
men who pass through college ul-
timately take up other professions
than those they contemplated before
graduation. This speaker was in his
9th year before he took anything
more than a superficial interest in ag-
riculture. Without having statistics
before me. i will venture the assertion
that very nearly as large a proportion
OF the graduates OF the University
OF South Carolina during the part
20 years are actually conducting
farms today as are the graduates OF
Clemson college for the same period.
IL is certainly beyond question that
many OF the most enlightened and
useful farmers in the state today are
graduates OF this institution. So,
gentlemen. I think IL behooves you TO
Improve every opportunity of gaining
all the knowledge you can OF our
great basic industry. agriculture.
L have come to you today TO tell
you about a few OF the agricultural
problems which confront your farm
ers and TO make suggestions as to
their solution. shnil direct your at
tention to some OF the more common
mistakes now being made and give
you some ideas as TO how they may
be avoided.
The method OF farming employed
In this country ever since the general
Introduction OF cotton has been most
disastrous In it's effect upon the soil.
A very large proportion OF our lands
having been continuously devoted to
this clean culture crop. the humus
content of the soil has become almost
exhausted Now humus is the most
valuable 'and necessary constituent OF
the soil II furnishes plant food; Is
the host OF innumerable bacteria
which are beneficial to plain life; it
takes In and stores the moisture, Civ
ing IL back In times of drought: II
prevents the leeching Of the available
fertility OF the soil and prevents
washing from heavy rains. Without
n soil Is poor-with IL rich. Our
farmers have been forced to resort
TO large and gradually increasing
use OF fertilizers In order TO In some
measure offset the loss of humus
caused by years OF clean culture.
While they have saved themselves
from absolute ruin by this expedient,
they have not stopped their humus
destroying method OF farming. and
u IN only by steadily increasing the
annual fertilizer ration that the cot
ton farmer is able to maintain the
averaged size of his crop.
There Is good rason for believing
that the. continuous growing of certain
crops on the same land gradually pro-
duces in increasing quantities a to.ic
substance. which interferes with the
welfare ,of that crop but which
promptly disappears when the soil is
transferred to another crop. 1t is also
a well known fact that the diseases
and INSECT enemies OF any crop become
worse apd worse where II is contin-
uously planted on the same land.
The average cotton farmer OF our
State ~ fast approaching the point
where his increasing fertilizer bill will