Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1916-01-20
From One Of Our Boys.

From One Of Our Boys.
We take pleasure in reprinting an art
icle taken from The Southern Fruit
Grower, printed at Chattanooga, Tenn,
on Cover Production of Peaches in the
South" which article is from the pen of
one of "our boys, J. William Firor, son
of Mrs. Anna c. Firor of this place.
While the article deals with conditions in
the State of Georgia, yet many of US saw
the great amount of loss sustained by
growers of peaches in this State brought
about no doubt by conditions referred to
by Mr.. Firor.
"Over-productio has been the dread
of the southern farmer for the last ten
years. When the wagons creak away
from the railroads with their heavy loads
of fertilizer in those gluttonous fertilizer
using states rs Georgia and South Caro-
lima, the semi-leisure, country-city class
at the town stores predict five. cent cot
ton. When a doctor, lawyer, merchant
or cotton farmer begins to get peach en-
thusiasm, member of this same class
predicts peaches rottening on the side
track as they did in such and such a
year. The predictions of the fellow who
is always yelling about over-production
sometimes come true-more's the sorry
but his opinion is worthless for he new
er predicts but one way and then sup
ports each new contention with some ex-
ceptional case.
''There is still another class that we
wish to call up on the carpet before we
60 our way and tell what we know about
peach growing in the South at present
and past and its prospects for the future.
And that is the class which is always
saying, 81 tried peaches once and the
first year shipped three hundred crates
and the commission men robbed me, so
never tried it again." There are, no
doubt, dishonest commission men. In
fact we have heard on pretty good au-
thority of some rather shady dealings of
commission men. But let US ask the
question, Why are commission men more
dishonest than other men, if they are?
Have commission men come from COM
mission men and as consequence trans
mitted their dishonesty, if it does exist?
No. Then commission men must be the
result of system rather than the result
of the men. The system would naturally
be such as to force the honest man out
of business and let the other fellow stay
in. Then who are responsible for the
system? Any faults that may exist in
the present business of commission sale
must be laid at the door of the farmer,
consumer and commission men. The re-
sponsibility is theirs. 1t belongs to all
three. The commission men, brokers,
spectators, buyers and consumers have
to face the same problems that the peach
growers have to meet. The men who
are in the commission, brokerage, retail
and consuming business will be about as
willing to help the producers as the pro-
ducers are to help them. There are just
as many farmers who put up dishonest
pack with the idea of pulling one on the
commission man as there are commission
men who give the growers raw deal.
To the fellow who is always yelling dis
honest commission men and to the dema-
gogue who is trying to make capital out
of yelling crook when the commission
men are mentioned, let it be understood
that they are either ignorant of the real
conditions or are worse than crooks in
that they are trying to play upon very
bad state of affairs for their own person
al gains.
1.-THE organization of growers, so that
they can demand fair treatment from
railroads, commission men, brokers, etc.,
is duty that they owe the peach indus
try. The elimination of the crook among
commission men is job that belongs to
the commission men, growers and con-
sumers. The organization of the distri-
button business from the time it leaves
the growers until it gets to the consum-
ers is the business of all concerned. The
talk of direct sales from producers to