Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1915-09-08
PICK COTTON QUICKLY
And Sell it SlOwly-Advice Whereby
You Can Save 40 Per Cent.
Progressive Farmer.)

Progressive Farmer.)
Here's the slogan and shibboleth
we would suggest to cotton farmers
now-Pick Cotton Quickly and Sell
1t Slowly. In the matter OF picking
the Importance of promptness-the
utmost prOmptness--wa very ef-
fectively summed up by former
State demonstration agent who re-
Gently declared:
"From careful observation we are
certain that under average condi-
tions a field that will turn out ten
bales of cotton if picked in Septem-
ber and October, will hardly make
more than eight bales if left in the
field until December or January
Then the reduced price due to Door
grades will probably result in fur
ther loss to the value Of two more
bales. In other words, the man who.
instead Of picking his cotton as it
opens, leaves it in the fields until
late fall or early winter, suffers an
average loss OF around 40 per cent
of its total value"
The utter wastefulnesS Of many Of
our folks in this respect is almost
Slckening. Men. women and chill
dren will work through the hottest
days OF summer to keep the cotton
cultivated and free from grass, and
then throw away their profits by
1allure to pick promptly when the
gcntlcr warmth Of autumn makes it
a JOY to be outdoors.
The farmers profits are none too
large when he gets the biggest
prices the market offers. Let him
not throw away by careless and de-
layed picking any hard-oarncd dol
lars so much needed by his wife and
children. Let's pick the cotton
quickly. And then let's sell it
slowly.
|. Authorities point out the great
depression every season from dis
tress' cotton and flooded markets.:
prices advancing later. as was the
case last season. Millions Of bales
rushed on the early market were
sold at 6 and 7 cents last fall. but it
was 10 cents before planting ended
What then ought n $4,000 ,OOO-bale
crop to be bringing by 1916 planting
time?
2. WarehOusing is the key to sue
cess here, and a State warehouse sys-
tenn is needed in every State. No.
tice Mr.. McLaurn's report that far
mers can borrow so per cent Of the
value of the cotton stored in the
south Carolina warehouses; And
notice Mr.. Hardings report that the
government will stand behind the
banks in financing the crop.
3. Warehouses are also needed TO
prevent The weather-damage to bales
left out in the open after they are
ginned-a loss which is estimated al
$4,000, 900 a year to Texas farmers
alone. This is shameful. |
4. Notice also that the Arkansas
Farmers Union is helping farmers
grade their cotton and sell both cot
ton and cotton seed in poOls-work
Farmers in every county should or
SaniZc and do for themselves. WIN,
not in YOUR county?
It's easy enough to blame England
and the government and everybody
else thousand miles away, but the
hrst thing to do is to get right in
our own cotton patch by having the
cotton picked quickly; then take
IN the neighborhood by getting
neighbors to hold, grade, warehouse
ana sell together; then reach the
market town by having committee
interview the bankers there and get
them right, and then take in the
whole State by demanding a State
warehouse system.
Pick quickly and sell slowly and
the twclvc-ccnt battle will he won,
EVER SA LIEATED RY