The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1916-03-14
{. S. BARRETT ISSUES
WARNING TO FARMERS

Union has issued the following let
ter:
''The other day l read report that
there are $4,000 arms in Texas which
have no cows, $4,000 which have no
pigs, $4,000 without poultry, 306 farms
that do not grow pound hay and
100000 that raise no sweet potatoes.
This statement is more than surpris-
ing; it is appalling. If these are con-
ditions in Texas, one of the greatest
farming States, they exist to as great
Or greater degree in other cotton
growing States of the South.
"There is the seat of our trouble
here in the South. Too many Of us
are continuing to concentrate on one
product alone-cotton. AS long as
you keep on raising nothing but cot
ton and paying out your cotton money
for forage and food and clothing IN
stead of making your farm furnish
your li,ing to you, you are never go
ing to get anywhere and the most Of
the time you'll be in debt
Right at this time especially, l
want to caution you and warn you
against an all cotton crop this year
AS sure as you continue to devote
your attention wholly to cotton this
year, you are going to come out at
the little end of he horn There is
no lodging it. You all remember what
happened in 1914 when the European
war began. You remember how it
frightened you, how it distressed you,
how it left you with scant rations be-
cause you failed to make your food at
home and had nothing but low priced
cotton-not enough to pay your debts.
"Well, if you don't look out the
sort of thing is going to happen again.
A big cotton crop this year is going
to spell The same sort of disaster for
you that you experienced in 1914, if
not worse The price is down now
and it is staying down. Just plant a
big crop and you'll see it tumble low
er still Some millions of bales Of
last years crop are still being held
because of the present prices. Suppose
you should add another big crop to
this stock on hand; you know very
we'll what would happen, and if you
don't look out, it will happen again.
"After the disaster of 1914 the farm
ers of the South planted more forage
and food crops than ever before, and
they began to raise more COWS and
pigs. Those who were fortunate
enough to do that know how we'll
they profited by it; know that even
with the better price for cotton, they
would have had a hard time if they
hadn't done it.
'%The European war is not over;
there is no telling when it will end;
it may go on for several years. Ger
tainly it will not end this year, and
probably not next. The German. Aus
trian and Russian markets are closed
tight against your cotton; the world S
consumption is reduced by several
million bales. How can you hope for
higher prices if you make a big crop?
1t is out OF the question.
"But if you will go ahead and make
your own living at home, make some
products to seil-for the world has
got to eat-you will come out all right
no matter what happens to cotton.
Not only that, but with the shorter
crop you will get your own price for
il, or at least come nearer to it than
you have done before.
Every one of those $4,000 farms,
those $4,000 farms, those $4,000 farms
in Texas should not only have COWS
and rigs and poultry, but they should
grow their own grain and forage and
garden truck, instead OF paying two
prices for it in cheap cotton. This
applies equally to conditions in every
cotton State in the South, to every
farmer who grows cotton at all.
'This IS absolutely the only road
to farm independence. to your inde-
pendence. YuH had better take it now.
If you disregard this injunction and