Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1913-10-01
SOME FACTS TO PONDER OVER.
Farmers Of United States Do Not
Properly Balance Nations RatiOns.
(By Peter Radford, Of Texas Farm
ers' Union.)

1tOr hGO"ee CouilSI' lhS pioulSih
that confronts the American farmer,
next in importance to distribution, is
diyersificaton for what is needed Is
as necessary information to the far
mer as where it is needed. Many
States and countries boast of their
powers of diversificaton, but very
few of them exercise it. In this arti-
Gle | shall use Texas to illustrate con-
ditions which exist in all other States.
have before ME balance sheet Of
Texas production and consumption,
prepared by the Texas commercial
secretaries and the business mems
association, showing chat out Of 33
agricultural products which we pro-
duced, and of which we also con-
sumo, we have a surplus production
in only two-CottOn and rice. We
lead all other States in the Union in
production Of cattle, yet our livestock
statistics show net loss i'm consump-
ton over production of 100000
per annum, due to heavy consump-
ton Of pork and other meat pro-
ducts which are shipped in from
other States. What is true Of Texas
applies, with local variation. to all
States and TO the nation as a whole.
Clothes the World, Buys Bread.
Our civilization has charged Texas
farmers with the responsibility Of
clothing 90 per cent Of the population
OF the globe, but the burden Of pro-
viding raimcnt for 300. 100000 pco-
pie IS not a valid excuse for our beg
gng bread from door to door Of our
ncighboring States. hold that
every farmer should live at home. We
can and should. as rule, produce on
the farm all the things we consume.
as well as supply home markets, and
when this is done we have made
rapid progress toward eliminating
waste and ineiliciency in living. AS
farmers we must study the pantry Of
our community and nation and see
that its wants are supplied.
Empty Shelves i'm Nations Lnrdcr.
The farmers of the United States
do not properly balance the nations
rations. Our farmers cultivate lar
ger areas and produce larger Quanti-
ties of products per capita than the
people of any other nation on the
globe. We live in waste and luxury
and send surplus of over n billion
dollars Of agricultural products per
annnm 70 Fr~c'~r '1nNs, and without
cur exports the world would 20 hun-
er} ana eh,vnr with cola. We e<port
lo,G75.no0 nalca OF cnt'ou aU0u0.-
500 lushC'. %. corn $4,000. goo bush
us or wheat; livestock and its pro-
ducts $1S6,000, 900, and mscellane-
Gus products valued at $297, 100000
per annam. But notwithstanding the
enviable record of the American far
mer as a producer, the nations lar
der has empty shelves, as we'll as
those that overflow.
We call upon foreign countries for
approximately a quarter of a billion
dollars Of agricultural products an
nually, which can and should be
raised in the United States | will
mention a few of them: Vegetables
$4,000, ,006-itemized as follows:
Potatoes, $1,000. 700; can1ed vegeta-
hles, $5,000,OO0; beans, 81 ,S57 900;
peas, 5 5000; onions, $1,234,-
900; other vegetables, $1,726;0OO.
in dairy products we imported last
year 81 0,030, 900, as follows: Cheese,
$S,SO7, 900; cream, 1924 900; but
Ter, $237,0O0; milk, $62, 900. In
sugar and molasses our imports
reached 100000. In miscerla-
neous products our rice imports are
valued at $5,OO0,000; tobacco, $31,
100000; liquor, $21 100000; cur
rants, $1,500,000; grapes, $2,331,-
600; lemons, $3,369, 900; olives,
$2.303, 900; dates. $537, 900; fgs.
$935,000; miscellaneous. $4,000
600.
! VIII repeat that have listed only
our agricultural imports which
should be raised in the United States
! now want to discuss a few OF these
products with which | am personally
familiar. While these vegetables
were being imported in the United
States and sold at fame" ices, bet
ter qualities OF the same products. in
many instances. were rOtting on the
ground for want Of a market. TO my
personal knowledge, carloads Of
beans and peas were left unpickcd in
the fields Of the Rio Grande valley, |
and tons Of onions rOtted in the fields |
Of Southwest Texas for want of n |