The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1916-12-30

AAAo NC Ol. ~ 81 |
kets for other commodities than cot
ton. Concerted action with capital is |
necessary to establish and maintain
markets. Last fall was a year ago
when Hon. d. F. Houston, Secretary
of the department of agriculture was
in Sumter, he asked me what cotton
was bringing that day. I told him
that it wa bringing about eleven and
a-half cents. He told meI that he was
just from Huntsville and that it was
bringing eighteen cents there. 1
told him that the cotton that was
bringing eighteen cents was staple
cotton, and he asked me why we were
not growing staple cotton generally
In Sumter county. My reply was that
We did not have a market for staple
cotton in Sumter.
David Harum said: There is Just
az much human nature in one man az
there is in another if not morc.p
When it comes to establishing mar,
kets there is a conflict Of human na-
ture. The producer wants all he
can get, and the man using his capI
tai feels that he is entitled to a big
profit, on ccoun Of the risk that he
takes. Here is where the Chamber OF:
Commerce gets in it's good work, edu.
eating the farmer that he must ex-
pect the man who handles hiBs PRO
ducts to make a reasonable profit and
that 1t Is detrimental to the business
OF a town for dealers to exact such
profits that they will starve the goose
that lays the, golden eggs We are
sadly in need Of q live stock market
In Sumter at present. The farmers
are selling their dressed pork : the
sains old prices w71ffg meaf .l16m
the packing houses Is selling for
one and a-half times as much as 1t
was a year or two ago. The farmers
Of Sumter county must be induced
to raise hogs. beef cattle and go into
the dairy business, and it is up to
the business men of Sumter to- pro-
vide markets for these products. We
need to keep up a live campaign of
education and show the farmers that
they have everything to gain and
nothing to lose. in raising live stock
IN a proper way. Here and there we
find a farmer in Sumter county for
tifying himself against the boil vice.
vii by fencing his land and beginning
to raise some hogs and cattle, These
farmers will never experience the
suffering that the farmers who con-
tinue to depend entirely upon cot
ton until Mr.. Boil Weevil makes
them turn loose, will experience. Not
long ago when l was trying to induce
a big cotton farmer to keep some
cows and supply milk to q cream
route, he remarked: II hate the
smell of q cow" Such farmers will
learn to love the aroma of COW ma
nure in q few years as it is spread
over their broad acres or else they
will sell their farms for about half
Of their value and join the ranks of
those who have made failures in life.
Next summer I want q committee
of business men and farmers from
Sumter county to visit some territory
that has been infested with the boil
weevil for about three years and see
what effect it has had upon business
and farming. / feel sure that the
farmers will come back ready TO go
into some kind Of live stock business
and the business men will be just as
ready to lend money for the purpose
of purchasing wire fencing for farms
and live stock as they are now ready
to lend money for the purpose of pur-
chasing fertilizer for growing a cotton
crop.
/ am sure that a gerat many Of you
that are present tonight read with q
great deal OF interest the report of
the South Carolina Weevil Commits
sion in Sundays State. These gen
tlemen made a trip over the boil
weevil infested territory and 1t is
their opinion that the entire South
will be infested even the northwest
tern part of our State. This commits
sion states that the banks and ad-
vance merchants were the first who
would suffer, but that n liberal pol
icy pursued by these business enter
prises would in our or five Years put
the farming business and prosperity
back on its feet.
hope that every man present to.
night will resolve to study this
which is sure to be in our
midst in one or two more years and
do his part in helping to readiust