The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1917-11-22
SUCCESSFUL TOBACCO MEETING
Farmers Present Convinced That To-
bacco Planting is Profitable. =


| bacco Planting is Profitable. =
A meeting which it is hoped and
expected will result in much benefit
to the county, and especially to the
farmers. was held in the court house
here Friday morning of last week.
The meeting was called in the interest
of a widespread movement of the to-
bacco growing industry in Bamberg
county. There were about thirty
representative farmers present, most
of whom. however, had already pledg-
ed themselves to plant some tobacco
for next year. Additional acreage
in this product was accounted for at
the meeting, though, and considera-
BILE enthusiasm worked up among
those present. It was planned that
in the near future some of the lead
ing citizens of Bamberg, including
Mr.. G.. R. Brabham, Sr., and Mr.. j.
H. Cope, would make personal calls
along with County Farm Demonstra-
tion Agent J. J. Heard, upon many
prominent farmers in an effort to pro-
mote a general planting of Bamberg
county lands in tobacco next season.
The chief speakers for the occasion
we're Mr.. E. L. Ring, leading tobac-
co expert of the Southern railway,
and MIR. w. J. Shelley, of Georgia.
Mr.. Ring used actual government
statistics and proved positively be-
vond a doubt that of the total acreage
planted in cotton and that planted in
tobacco in the United States for the
past twenty years the average prof.
it per acre in tobacco for the twenty
wear period was practically so per
cent. more than the average profit
per acre of cotton. He showed fur
Their that in the face of the recent
high prices for cotton the average
profit from an acre of tobacco for the
same time was nevertheless greater
than that from cotton. He pointed
out that it also required nine months
for a cotton crop, while only three
months are all that is needed for to-
bacco raising, and that the crop is
marketed in the off season before
cotton comes in and when money is
badly needed. Mr.. Ring stated that
tobacco had practically made Horny
county the prosperous community
that it is today, from an. almost bar
rem section, and that Bamberg coun-
ty soil to his certain knowledge is
equally as well suited for raising to-
bacco as Horny or any of the other
counties of the State. He did not
advocate the abandonment of cot
ton for tobacco, but believes in the
planting of both, and said that it is
fact that in four or five counties
of South Carolina where tobacco is
grown the progressive farmers with
money in the banks were almost
without exception those who planted
tobacco as we'll as cotton. This state
ment was substantiated by the Rev.
E.. O.. Watson, D. D., who has llv-
ed all through that part of the State.
Mr.. Ring discussed the proper meth
DDS of planting, raising, curing and
marketing the crop, and stated that
more assistance along those lines
would be forthcoming if our farmers
would only take advantage of their
opportunities and reap the profits OF
a larger acreage in tobacco. He said
that if 800 acres could be planted as
a minimum the coming year he would
guarantee that special buyers would
be here and a warehouse erected to
place Bamberg on the map as to-
bacco market.
Mr.. Sheeley discussed the boil wee
| vii, which is certain to soon be upon
| us. and told how important and even
necessary it will be to have some
crop besides cotton which We can
depend upon when the w,eevil arrives.
He said the boil weevil was far more
terrible than any one who had not
seen it's work could imagine, and pic
tured the havoc it had already
wrought in the unfortunate sections
visited by this pest. Mr.. Shelley
was farming in Mississippi when the
weevil literally took charge of that
State. so he knew whereof he spoke
and how important it is that we
should be prepared for its coming.
He told of the great bank failures
out there caused by the destruction
and devastation of the weevil, and
compared it's work with the ravages
| ~, ctorrnc lorna