The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1916-02-12

y. Frank Williams Asks Aid Of Farm.
crs, Merchants and Chamber of
Commerce in Effort to Secure Facts.


tning- that l want to do is to make a.
survey of the county and find out ex-
actly what we did last year. In do
ing this l wish to call upon the Cham
Der of Commerce to assist me.
know that 1t will assist me in doing
this because 1t has always willingly
assisted me in the past. A Chamber
OF Commerce is, a wonderful thing.
Just think what it means to have the
business men of a city organized with
secretary, president and committees
to look out for the welfare of the
community. There was a time when
a Chamber of Commerce thought that
Its business was to induce outside in
vestments and do those things which
would add to the population Of the
city and thereby increase the busi-
ness of the merchants. The boil vice.
VII has caused many Chambers of
Commerce to completely revolution
lie their methods of working. They
are now beginning to look toward in
creasing the production of the farms
along the lines that mean permanent
prosperity. You never find q rich
city that does not owe it's prosperity
to some rich farming territory or
mines. That territory may not be in
Its back yard, but 1t must be where it
clears through the merchants and
bankers of city through the medium
OF waterways or railroads. Sumter
depends and always must depend up-
on the prosperity of the farms of
Sumter county. and portions of Clar-
endon and Lee counties, for it's pros
perity., At the same time these farm
ers contributing to the wealth Of sum,
ter are in a measure dependent upon
Sumter to establish markets. Re-
member that in establishing q mar
ket 1t is not advisable to kill the goose
that laid the golden eggs.
Last year we all preached the grow
ing OF more hogs. I was told in SurnJ
ter the other day that dressed pork
was selling by the whole hog at z ana
q ilS2' cents per pound. We see ffls
the papers that packers are paying
more than that for them live weight.
A man who has to kill, dress and haul
a hog to market ana take 2 ;and IA
cents per pound is not going to try to
raise any hogs for the market next
ysaF + Is the duty Of the. business
men Of Sumter to, get together agds
purchase any product. from the fafikha
that are offered at very much low
er price than the commodity will
bring at some other market center.
The Chamber OF Commerce and the
business men of Sumter have certainly
been great deal of assistance to ME
in teaching certain principles of diver
sified farming that are comparatively
new in Sumter county, the Corn Club
work. the Tomato Club work and the
growing Of legumes. The growing Of
beef cattle and the dairy industry is
receiving a great deal of attention at
this time. We need to grow cattle
both for beef and for the dairy pro-
ducts. but always remember that the
profit of any endea yor Is in the sales
end. r@ ~
In making survey Of the county
wish to find out through the school
trustees and other sources exactly
what portion Of the land was planted
to cotton, corn, grain and other crops
and what was the average return for
each community. also wish to find
out how much Of the different kinds
Of products that could have been pro-
duced in Sumter county were shipped
into the county. 1t Is necessary to
discover a fault or an error before it
can be corrected.
Last year dire necessity compelled
us to do certain things. The advance
In the price Of cotton made it seem
that 1t would have been more prof.
table to have produced cotton in
stead. But If large number had
gone on producing cotton we would
now be receiving cents per pound
for cotton.
Now Is the time to prune all or
chards and spray with lime sulphur
solution. 1t Is absolutely necessary
to spray young trees with lime sui
phur in the proportion of one gallon
Of the concentrated solution to eight
OF water to keep the San Jose scale
from killing them. The concentrated
solution will cost 25 cents per gallon.
Do not pay any more. 1t is kept at
that price by some of the merchants