The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1914-12-04
OPPOSES GRAIN
ELEVATOR
L. J. Browning Gives Views as
TO Erection of Grain Elevator.
Urges Diversified Farming
and Stock Raising and a
Reduction of Fertil-
iZer Bills.

oIliOIl, ~, DeC. 1.-Mr. EQ1COr.
I have watched with much interest,
Commissioners Watson's whirlwind
campaign to encourage the sowing of
more grain in our State. This cam
paign was begun more than two
months too late, still it may accom-
plish some good; but if read correct
ly, it may do considerable harm. The
commissioner has carried around with
him and has had exploited more ex-
tensively than any other member of
the party, Mr.. Stratton, who is evi-
IDENTIFY an agent for grain elevator
construction company. Any one who
notices the carloads of corn, of oats
and of flour that continually are be-
ing brought into every railroad sta
ton in our State, can readily realize
the fact that the various towns of
South Carolina have about as much
use for grain elevators at present as
"hell has for heating plant" 1t will
be years before our local needs arr
supplied by local production, and vet
the chief star has been this travelling
salesman for some Western manufac-
turing concern to take thousands of
dollars out of our State to build un-
needed grain elevators. Were not> the
expenses of this gentleman paid by
the State, out of the revenues of Com
missioner Watson's department
We need more livestock in South
Carolina, and in all the other South
ern States, and the most profitable
use a farmer can make of his surplus
grain, is to feed it to livestock, and
sell tho finished product instead of the
raw material.
would commend to eve$y farmers
attention. an article bv Mr.. A. G..
Smith. who was of Mr.. Watson's par
ty, published in The State of Wednes-
day, November 25, on page z, headed
Enhancing Grain in the Middle West"
which bears me out in my contention
that we should feed our surplus grain
to livestock. Mr.. Smith is connected
with the Agricultural Department. at
Washington, and he sha1 no; Ak. ia
grind, ard fieitner IS Ne apparently a.
postgraduate in the dissemination Of
hot air.
Allow me to say that I regret ex-
ceedingly that l did not have the
pleasure Of hearing these gentlemen
when their whirlwind campaign struck
Union. | rode twelve miles on bitter
cold day for that purpose, that date
having been advertised in two con-
secutive issues of the daily press by
Commissioner Watson, only to find
that by long distance telephone he
had changed the date.
More grain has been sown this fall
than ever before in the history of this
section. 1t is a non-perishable prod
will find ready local market for all
surplus, without the expense of build
ing elevator plants throughout the
State. There will be planted con-
siderable area in both early Irish and
sweet potatoes, and if Commissioner
Watson will find markets for these
products, he will confer great bene-
fit on the farming community as these
are both perishable products, and re-
quire quick market. The Irish po-
tato in this section will be ready for
market the latter part of May and
early in June; the sweet potato in late
July and early August, SO that the in
formation as to marketing these prod
ucts would be utterly useless if fur
nished next October or November.
Our State has long needed a more
diversified agriculture. We can easily
grow all the necessary grains and
vegetables for our own consumption
We can grow all our own meats at a
profit, and on our waste lands we can
grow wool enough to clothe our peo-
pie. Then cotton, the greatest money
crop of the world, will be a surplus
crop as it should be. Then the cash
received from cotton will not be sent
to other States for mules, corn, hay,
-four and bacon. Then our fertilizer
bills will be reduced many millions of
dollars, and our agricultural commun-
tiles will be prosperous, contented and
happy.
We often boast of our wonderful
strides along agricultural lines. Let
me give you the crop produced by one
Union county farmer in 1916:
On four-horse farm that had been
sold because the owner could not
make a support for his family as it
was too poor. OF grain and meat
enough was produced for himself and
% slaves and all animals kept on the
place. OF cotton there was produced
So bales; this was ginned by the four
work animals that made it, and every
bale hauled 65 miles to Columbia by
these same animals, and sold before
Christmas. In one year, on this place
on which the former owner could not
make living, two-thirds of his cot
ton sold for enough to pay the pur-
chase price of the plantation; he had
never heard of commercial fertilizers
at that time. Can any farmer of the
present day beat this record?
Respectfully,