The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1914-08-22

various towns last year. If we could
make it soak deeply into the minds
of our members that their PATRONAGE
is the most important asset they pos
sess, If they will keep on investing
it in their cooperative business, they
would quit committing business sui
eide by deserting their own places
Of business to swallow the puny bats
thrown out by private competitors.
Some Farmers Union Notes From
South Carolina.
On August 1 the writer, Mr.. b.
Harris member Of the executive COM
mittee of the State Union, and Col f.
j. Watson, commissioner Of agricul-
ture. went from Columbia to Center
Local Union, about 20 miles over in
Lexington county, to the sixth annual
rally of this progressive union.
Mr.. Harris spoke on the need of soil
building and how it is to be done;
Col. Watson on the abuse Of the use
of commercial fertilizers; and the
writer on What the Union has done,
and what can be done through the
Union.' He also called the attention
Of the union to the call for informa-
tion as to the tonnage Of fertilizing
material that the unions will need
for next year that the State execu-
tive committee may be able to con-
tract for the same. and discussed
panic in cotton prices that the war
in Europe has brought on.
The dinner was the best of the
many good dinners these good people
have served. IN accordance with an
nouncements made last year, there
were IL or IA head of dairy cows six
or seven pigs, and a dozen pounds of
butter entered for prizes. Mr.. B.
Harris shipped to Columbia a month
old bull calf from one Of his fine Jer-
seys as prize for the best cow The
State agricultural car was q sight
as it drove from Columbia over 20
miles Of the capitalize capital high
way with the calf crate tied on the
left running board and the dignified
commissioner Of agriculture, and no
less dignified former president of the
State Union, petting the calf and try
ing to reconcile it to this mode of
travel.
First prize cow, Manuel Long; Sec
ond, j. II. Price.
First pound Of butter, Mrs. ]. II.
Price: second, Mrs. Lemuel Seay.
First pig, W. H. Hendrix; second
pig, II. d. Herman.
Next year these good people prom
Use something much better.
The executive committee of the
State union has mapped out field
work for reviving the Union in sew
eral counties. The president is au-
thorized to put in the field as many
organizers as he can secure. The ru-
raj credit societies now being organ
lied In the Union, and the fertilizer
contracts that it appears the Union
will be able to make for it's member
ship ought to bring all the good
farmers into it's ranks.
Probably the most important action
Of the committee today was the call
for the re-assembling of the Southern
Cotton Congress- We believe the i'm
pending disaster is so great that ev-
cry interest Of the South must be
lined up at once for concerted action
to save the value Of cotton to it's
people. The Farmers Union Of South
Carolina is taking the lead in this
move. On the streets Of Columbia it
Is being talked Of with more earnest
ness than the war news from Europe.
1t Is being proposed that the bankers
get together and underwrte every
bale of distressed cotton in the State
and absolutely hold it until the war is
over and the worlds commerce has
settled down. 1t is proposed to have
the Sttae underwrite the cotton
bonds made necessary by such a pro-
cedure on the part Of the banks.
Fully believing that we must meet
at the earliest practicable date to
plan method Of saving the cotton
crop of the State and Of the South.
the writer endorses what ThcO. H.
Price, says in his supplement to Com
merce and Finance Of July &c, that
because OF it's enormous, cost the ex-
pected war cannot occur But even if
this is the correct view, the excite.
ment Of the times has already cost
the state OF South Carolina 20 million