The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1916-09-06

E. w. Dabbs Tells OF Trip to uarts-
Vile and Addresses to Association.

wednesday morning Mr.. Andrews,
Rev. Mr.. Workman, Hugh Wither
spoon and the writer took a little trim
py I'D" that was about as full of
pleasure and instruction as it is DOS.
sible' to crOwdi into two days. The oc-
casion was the fourth annual meeting
OF the South Carolina Plant Breeders
Association at Hartsville, the home Of
Coker College and the Pedigree Seed
Farm, monuments to the Cookers.
rather and son, a thousand times
more appropriate and endearing than
anything in marble or bronze that
the worlds most famous SCULPTOR
could fashion.
vi can not conceive of any earthly
JOY greater, or of any satisfaction so
complete, than must come to Mai. ].
l.. Coker when he looks upon the
model town he has built and contem-
plates the good to the community and
the far reaching influences that go
prosperous and happy a great State.
In fact the influence of the scientific
plant breeding done here by Messrs.
ID. X. and S. Pressly Coker will reach
around the world, and the cotton mar
ket which Mr.. ID. II. Coker has built
up must benefit farmers in at least
three States. ~-,
Farm Demonstration Agent Will
liams wrote me to urge big delega-
ton Of Sumter county farmers to at
tend this meeting to learn how to Sc
lect seed for themselves. and not have
to pay "exOrbitant prices to Mr.. Coker
and others for the.seed they should
save themselves" Our delegation.
when we had seen the work being
done and had 1t explained to us, do
not think the prices exorbitant, and
while we joked the Messrs. Coker
about 1t. the joke really Is on Mr.. Will
liams. There is not a more insistent
advocate anywhere of farm selection of
seed than Mr.. = Coker. While they
would not object to selling a farmer
all the seed he may want, they do not
advise him the very next year to
throw away the seed he grows and buy
more. But he is advised to carefully
select the best seed from his own
crop. not only for general planting,
but to make plant selections for breed.
ms his own seed, and there is no
secret about it that they are not glad
to explain. sA
am writing this not to boost the
pedigree seed farm, but TO let the
readers of this paper know that with
in days journey. work as valuable as
any agricultural college is doing, can
be seen, and studied at first hand.
We had quick trip to Hartsville
and in few minutes the crowd was
taken to part Of the testing grounds,
where we were shown the variety
tests of cotton. Then we were assign
cd to the homes Of the hospitable peo-
pie of Hartsville, where every kind
ness was shown us. At $3.50 the
meeting was opened by a short ad-
dress by the President. Coker, and
then papers were read on various
phases Of plant breeding and their re-
lation to practical farming and COM
munity building. All the papers were
good. but the two that struck me
most fOrcibly were Problems for
the Corn Breeders in South Carolina" :"
by Il. McIver Williamson and "Side
Lights on Plant Breeding" (joint
paper) by ID. II. and s. p. COker.
These papers should be read by busi-
ness men as we'll as farmers where
they are published and I hope this
paper will print them for the benefit
Of it's readers.
At o'clock we were taken to the
seed farm proper. and shown the
great variety OF tests that are being
made. Then to the country club on
the beautiful pond that is made by
damming Black Creek to secure power
for the paper mill. At o'clock to q
reception by Mrs. ID. X. Coker in their
beautifully appointed home when an
elegant supper was served on the
broad veranda. 1t was here that we
made acquaintances and met some Of
the charming ladies Of this charming
town. Just across the street on one
Of the stateliest native oak shaded
lawns ! ever saw is the home of Maj.
COker. And for a mile up and down
the old Black Creek road Home
Avenue" Is what it's name implies in
every sense OF the word-the abode
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