The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1916-02-05
F,ANENT' FERTILIZERS PRICES.
"a. @. Dunbar Sees Poor Prospects for
Cotton Growers.


Editor Daily Item.
The farmers of this community,
like many others, are up against a
proposition, they don't know what to
do with. A great many have not yet
bought any fertilizers and the high
prices being asked for it, is the prob
lem they don't know how to solve.
With the prices now being wanted for
it and the present gloomy. outlook for
prices for cotton next season, it is we'll
that the cotton producer think well
before he launches heavily in the fer
tilizer business. $50 ".ef, .-,,i
the Allies succeed in perfecting
an effective blockade, the cotton in
dustry it seems, will be at rather a
disadvantage as none can be exported
to neutral countries and it will not
take n large amount to supply the de-
mand of this country and what Eng
land/ France and Russia need for
their own consumption. Under these
conditions, q big crop of cotton GER
tainly means low prices and the pro-
Queer had better consider matters
we'll before he decides on his plans
for the year. ta ;.af~.s~ 49, -A-
Shipping room Is another matter
that should be well thought out as
that is ona of the drawbacks now In
exporting cotton. We made a short
crop last year, which under normal.
would have brought q
fancy price and the South with it's
abundance of grain would have been
In fine condition financially. but we
must mot let that thought decoy us
into big cotton crop with big
amount of fertilizers to pay for out
of 1t. England wants her cotton just
as cheap as she can get it and. 30 does
our American mills and we may be
sure of not getting much money out of
che next crop. should it be a large
one. stTi -N@ ""f.r ~ =,
The lesson we learned in 1914
should be lasting one and with that
In view It. will be our own fault II, we
againfare caught in that predicament.
Haff Of last years crop has not yet
been taken by the mills Of this coun-
try and Europe and with the surplus,
brought over from the big crop of
1910 there is yet a large, amount Of
GOTTEN to be disposed of. part of
which viii be carried over until next
season, a'fact which should put us on
our guard. With no commercial' ma
rtre4 OF note to export our cotton, de-
pendent on England who wants and
will have ali she can get out of the
shiEping business, certain per cent,
ofswhich we iearn lis applied to her
government, for war purposes. and In
all probability an efrectual blockade
of all European ports, which IL per-
fected. will leave tiris country heip-
less in the cotton trade. except inso-
far as England ana her Aiites are in
need Of and win take, and at the low
est prices possible, the cotton pros
ducer should 60 slow.
Z Getting back to the question Of
fertilizers. we must SHY that a 1e-
gitimate cause for such high prices
is hard to fnd. We are told that the
Panama Canal not being open to
commerce is one OF the causes why
nitrate OF soda is 30 high. The
writer used that goods on his farm
hong before the canal was ever cut,
at prices much lower than is now be-
Ing asked for 1t. We are told again
that the belligerents are using 1t for
explosives. Germany says that
through her scientific methods, she is
manufacturing explosives from other
sources and Is not dependent on i'm
ported materials for that purpose. If
the cause was thoroughly investigated
there would be found at its
root something initiating a combine,
whose purpose it Is to reap a fat re-
ward at the expense of the tillers of
the soil. Such conditions as are now
predominating should be looked into
and If results are found to be as sup
posed, the government should get busy
behind the promoters and apply the
law as laid down in the statute books
OF the nation.
The farmers, too, will never have u
better time to unite themselves anu
boycott the combinations and let
them keep q part Of their goods at
least: for with the present outlook
there is nothing bright or encouraging
to them to put forth the effort as in