The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1913-01-08
A THOUSAND DOLLARS
FOR IMPROVEMENTS
Chicago Association Offers
Aid to the South.
WILL DUPLICATE
ANY SUM RAISED
IL Laurens County will Raise by Pub
lie Subscription the Sum of $1,000,
Chicago MlIlionaires will Duplicate
the Sum. Attractive Features.

SouhIieS III tHe state, mas Deen 0mer-
ed the sum Of 81, 900 or considerably
more for the purpose of carrying on
the work Of improving farm condi-
uons If the people of the county will
raise like sum. The money is offered
by The Chicago Crop Improvement AS
sociatlon, an organization composed
OF rich people who are interested In
tie development of farming life in the
country. The proposition was laid
before small gathering of men here
Saturday by Mr.. w. H. Barton, dis
rtict superintendent for northwest
South Carolina of farm demonstration
work. Mr.. Barton was authorized to
make the offer to Laurens county and
If the money is raised he will be the
medium of communication through
which negotiations will be carried on.
Mr.. Barton went into the subject at
length and explained why the money
was offered, what was expected Of the
county and what would be expected
if the money were raised. He stated
that the organization of millionaires
in Chicago, headed by Sears Roe buck
& Company, desired to see farm life
made more attractive in the south and
more profitable. These men have
plenty of money and are able to make
good all of their promises. They are
making the same proposition to every
county in the south To secure the
sum of money offered by this organ
iZation it is necessary for Laurens
county to raise a sum not less than
$1,000, If she raises $1,000 or $4,000
or even more it will be duplicated by
these men. The money can be spent
in one year or in two years as the
people of the county might wish. If
only 1000 is raised, however, the
time for eXpending it cannot be ex-
tended over more than period of two
years. In addition to this sum, rails
ed by the county and duplicated by the
Chicago Crop Improvement Associa-
tion, the county will continue to re-
ceive the sum 1t now receives from
the state and from the U. s. govern
ment for farm Improvement, this sum.
as is well known, being expended at
this time through Mr.. John d. W.
Watts as county agent of farm i'm
provement work. The total sum to be
expended then, in case Laurens coun-
ty takes up the proposition, is around
$2,500.
With this sum Of money, it is pro-
posed to secure the services of a com
petent farm demonstrator for the en-
tire year, have him give his undivid-
ed attention to this farm Improvement
work aAi also to act as kind OF com
mercial secretary for the county. This
work Is being done in part now by Mr.
John ID. w. Watts, but he is employed
for only portion of the year and at
a salary which does not justify him
in giving his whole time to it.
Mr.. Barton talked very Interestingly
Of the work that has been done by
the farm improvement demonstrators
of the state before this and what is to
be expected as result Of the gener-
osity Of the Chicago Crop improvement
Association. Heretofore, because of
the lack OF funds, Mr.. Barton stated
that the department of farm improve
ment, had only been able to instill
the very rudimentary principles of
successful agriculture into the people.
They had only attempted to deal with
deep fall piowing, better drainage, fire.
quent shallow cultivation, better seed
beds etc, farming principles long
made use of in other countries and
lnuch neglected in the south. Having
Oeen partially successful in this first
step, they had done all that they could
until this money was offered them.
Now they are ready to take the next
step and show the people the necessi-
ty for planting winter cover crops.
such as vetch, clover, etc, and then
to impress upon them the need for
diversification and last, but of the
most importance, that it is absolute
ly necessary to raise live stock if the
farmer is to get the full returns from
his lands and is to put back into it