The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-09-29
ADVISES FARMERS: 'BEWARE OF
COTTON"
j. c. Dunbar Warns Against Outcome
OF Big Acreage Next Year-PIant
Grain and Raise Hogs and Cattle.
He Says.

Dalzell, Sept 27.-I am sorry to see
| from one of your correspondents that
his community will not plant wheat
| this season, owing to the fact that the
water mills have failed for lack of wa
| ter and the steam mills are so con-
I'Sested that many of the farmers can
not get their wheat ground. 1t will
| rain again and then the water mills
will resume their work, when the
wheat will be converted into a healthy
grade of flour. Il
The farmers learned a lesson i'm
1911 and one in 1914 that should not
| be forgotten soon, and if they are
caught next year with a big crop of
cotton and no home supplies, with
cotton below the cost of production, it
will not be good sense to try to blame
somebody else for such conditions
The war is on and we don't know how
long it will last, therefore, if we, as
class, exercise good common sense, we
will adapt ourselves to the conditions
by trying to make our farms self-sup-
porting in every respect possible.
Nothing but shorp crop is the cause
of the fair price cotton is bringing to.
| day, regardless Of all the rumors to
the contrary. 1t has not reached the
maximum yet, but that is a lame
reason for planting everything in cot
ton. another year, disregrading the
most important element on the farm,
that Of. foodstuff, Cotton always goes.
down under the pressure of a big crop
in spite. of all the reasoning that can
be brought forth and should the South
go in for a bumper crop next year she
will have to accept the inevitable.
Planting cotton, like many other
things we engage in, is only gambling
and when the luck is all our, way, we
are bouyant and hopeful class, but
when the bears take advantage
! of the opportunities we extend to
them, which they never fail to do.
then we are n faithless, hopeless set,
with tendency to curse out somebody
else for bringing such conditions. De-
pressions come and it is not every body
who can analyze and give the reasons
why, and such being the case, the
average farmer who is not supposed to
know all the\tricks in trade, but
knows something of the advantages
that have been taken off his reckless
disposition to plant cotton to the neg
lect of many other crops, that go to-
wards making him more self, sustain
ing when these adverse circumstances
arise Brother farmers, let's plant
wheat again, and oats, corn, sweet DO
tatoes, plenty of vegetabls and raise
all the meat we can. Keep all the cat
tie we can, raise all the chickens and
other poultry possible; quit planting
so much cotton and buying all the fer
tilizer the dealers will sell and hiring
all Of the sorry labor that comes about
you; to handle that fertilizer in try
ing to make all cotton and next sea-
son, you will be able TO live again in
spite. of the European war and all the
pressure the cotton bear can bring on
the price. When we have a little cot.
ton, somebody else wants it and are
willing to pay us for it, but when we
have nothing else but cotton, Somehow
in some way, nobody seems to want it,
The writer is no prophet, neither Tho
son of a prophet, but will say that the
farmer had better he a little cautious
how he plays on the checker board of
trade another year or the other fell
How will swamp him.
j. G.. Dunbar.