Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1917-09-26
AN Admiral BILE SCH ENlE.


To-day our government Is urging
the increased raising OF stock in
every section Of our great country.
The appeal comes to our farmers and
stockraiscrs to produce more cattle
for food purposes because the supply
Of meat, not alone in the United
States, but In the whole world. is
siully depleted, and the meat short
age is becoming alarming.
1t seems to us that this appeal
should strike with force the land
owners and farmers Of Oconce. Our
climate is such that cattle can be
raised at minimum Of cost; and
with but little extra expenditure in
the way OF seeding waste lands
to grasses and ClOvCrS, cattle here
can be brought to Il maximum Of ef
iicicnry. both for beef and milk.
There is enough "r0ughage" wasted
in this section every year--good
fcedstuffs that arc not and cannot be
readily harvested and storcd-to win
ter thousands Of head Of cattle,
which in normal times would COM
mand good profits on the markets.
but under present conditions would
represent small fortunes. As SIM
pie matter OF fact, until we realize
the importance Of cattle ON the
farms, We cannot be truly successful
farmers. The more cattle there are
on n farm the more efficient and self
sustaining will be the farm, and the
more independent the farmer. Cat
tie form not only Il source Of revenue
from the meat, milk and butter mar
kctS, but they stop, to Il large extent,
the serious strain for commercial fer
tiliZcrS. No farmer in this section
Of the State should make a dollar Of
expenditure for commercial fertili-
zers for the building up OF his soil.
lie may spend a lifetime "building
up" soil with commercial fertilizers.
and in the end he will fail. CONNER
cial fertilizers were never intended
to build soil and improve farms per-
mancntly; they contain plant foods,
and they should be used for no other
purpose than to feed" the crops as
they grow. Stable manure does build
soil, and 1t stays i'm and with the
soil year after year. The more sta
bic manure available, the greater
the efficiency. the more permanent
the fertility, and the less will be re-
Hnired in the way or commercial crop
stimulants. Let us learn the value Of
feeding our soils Dy feeding first to
cattle, then to the soil.
The boys Of this section are going
to forge far ahead Of their daddies in
their pursuit Of agriculture. and it is
to the boys we must look for the
adoption OF many Of the more ad-
vanced methods Of farming. A bank
over in Thomasville, Ga, has caught
this idea, and it is to the action taken
by this bank that we wish to call at
tention, in the hope that similar ac-
ton may be taken by some or all Of
the banks In Oconee. We reprint
here a brief dispatch that contains a
most admirable application Of the
principle OF mutual hclpfulness:
"Thomasville, Ga, Sept. 1G. ---
TO stimulate the raising Of fine
cattle III Thomas county, and to
enable every boy in the county to
get good start in this industry,
the Peoples Saving Bank. Of this
city. has inaugurated a Boys
fearling Club The bank has
made arrangements to finance the
purchase Of ShOrthOrn COW for
every boy who desires one. taking
his note for the purchase price"
OCOHcc mas SIN cntcrprlSlnE banks.
Could not the bank presidents OF
Walhalla, Seneca and Westminster
get together. pool their energies in
a fight for more and better cattle in
our county, and thus prove to our
farmers the true value Of cattle on
the farms? We believe in the prop
osition so strongly that we stand
ready to join with the bankers in
whatever move they make in the
matter, and we will undertake. free
Of charge. for the benefit we know
will accrue to the farming interests
Of the present and future, to give all
necessary publicity through T.c Cou-
ricr 10 get a plan Of this kind well
before the people of Oconee.
Can the boys Of the Oconee farms
see something worth while in prop
0siti0n OF this kind? Can the bank
crS OF OcOnce see something worth
while in tin more and better cat
tie, more money in the hands Of the
farmers, in increased business and
added prosperity? We can see all
Of this, and more. 1t Is a certainty
that we sce--or we are as blind as
q bat.
What can be done in the interest
of more and better cattle on the
farms OF Oconee? We leave the
question to the farmers and bankers
Of our county, and we pledge our
hearty support to any move that may