Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1915-03-03
ADVISES FARMERS.
Young Johnston Farmer Urges
Change Of Method. Give
Up Cotton and
Diversity.

The condition of the southern far.
mer of today is worse than it has
ever been before. On everv side
the c7SJof hard times is heard. Onr
fate as farmers is being weighed in
the balances, and unless we change
we are going to be found wanting.
We have onr lives in our hands,
the proposition is up to us, our own
Judgment is the magistrate and he
will Judge whether we shall be
found wanting or not. Our short
eomings and misgivings can only
be-. written down. in the book of
fate byour own hands. we alone
can be held responsible for our
deeds. We have not looked for
ward enough to see how we could
avert danger. We are in deep water
and must turn back. Awaken Bro.
cast your eyes around and see what
changes you can make. The time
for action has arrived, and act we
must whether it be right or wrong.
Wbatsare your plans for the fu-
tnre? Have, you thought Of them.
or are You going to use the same
old plans which your father and
grand father used before you? For
years VI have been blind, we have
been careless, we have drifted along
thinking we were making great
progress when it was only few
persons who awoke early and
went to worl, that made the prog.
ress for us: For years we have
planted only one money crop and
put. too much dependence on it.
Year BY year we stick our finger
back into the same old wheel of
fortune knowing that the old wound
would be torn open anew. The
same thing happens over and over.
The price of our crop is low and
we have to sletit go at what we can
get. e, are then through, our.
part game is ended, and we.
(. ~! ~ al. e. s.-s 81 .,s,.
agarn, uhdaunted, undiscouraged,
but thinking with a child's mind of
an old saying that lunch is bound
to change. All else is neglected,
our gardens are small, our cornsis
our pig pens rot, the
chicken yards dwindle but our cot
ton stands undaunted The King OF
Che South. Well mas it been King
Cotton, it is undiminished, uncom-
petitive, it has crowded every thing
out Of its way. 1t is unchallenged.
Why Bro? Can you answer that
question? The answer is simple.
We are trying to getrich too quick,
We are dropping the rubies aud are
.anding only one pearl mp fos ln'
pection of which there are 50 maay
'snlil yours and mine are hardly no
iced. Ah! Pearl it is, and the mosl
brilliant one that ever grew, but W
i.ave glutted the markets with them
md the lustfe is dimmed. Oar
theory is wrong and we must change.
We the farmers of the south are
making the greatest Of mistakes.
Ne are not independent. We never
nave been and never will be until
We change. We are living zoo fast,
striving to keep up with too manY
ther things. and have gone to work
With the wrong idea. Well has il
been said by some northern man
hat, ''Fhe south remin Is US OF q
huge giant lying on its back crying
.lelp! Help! and refusing to use liz
nwn great strength to help 1t
J SELF.
/ This year of 1915 is going te
be a hard one, and also a very serl
GUS one. Often have | heard lately
that a great many crops would be
started this year and neser finished
and | do not doubt but that a grea
uart of it is true. | would like tc
think otherwise but the call OF pov
erty is near and am afraid some o.
us will succumb. And it is going
to be the little farmer, it is golng
to be the big planter who raises cot
ton, and nothing but cotton thl'
year. Suppose cotton were to b'
declared contraband of war
Where would we then be with 10,
100000 bales on our hands? 1t l.
true that this is the only way IL
which we can get our pay irJm th'
negro, but we should carry these
debts uptil better times. If you are
afraid of him let him plant you
part of this years cotton crop, anc
you plant something else. Sow
your land in oats and if yon haven
done so cut it for green food, plan
peas, soy beans, alfalfa, anything