The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-12-08
FOOD AND COTTON.
The South Needs Food and the WOrl,
Needs Cotton, Therefore South Mus
Produce It's Food First, Then Cot
ton.

rience of the world proves that no
system of general farming is depend
ably profitable unless it combines ami
NAL production with plant produc-
ton. Mr.. Clarence Ousley, assistant
secretary OF agriculture. in an ad-
dress here today urged a continuous
development of the beef and dairy
cattle industry in the South, the pro
duction Of more feed and food crops
and the avoidance, next year, of cot
ton hysteria. The South should, OF
course. produce an adequate supply
of cotton, but he pointed out the dis
astrous possibilities of over produc-
ton of that crop and insufficient pro-
drction of food and feed. Will. cot
ton occupies but q little more shan
half of the farmers time-t. basis
upon which no commercial enter trisc
could endure-feed crops and cattle,
with cotton, form combination that
utilizes the full time of the farmer.
furnishes sustenance for the family.
and makes the cotton returns a pro-
fit. :,
\ TO have acquiesced in the 'one-
ship per-wee.I' dictum of Germany
would have been to destroy the cot
ton industry Of the South" said Mr..
Ousley. IF there is one man more
than another in the United States
whose prosperity depends upon the
free play of commerce, upon unin-
terrupted ocean transportation and
upon unrestricted foreign markets, il
Is the American farmer.
1--WE either had to fight Germany
or accept Germany's permission to
send one ship per week across tine
Atlantic. AT the rate of one ship per
week 1t would require five years 10
transport the cotton now going TO
Europe. On that basis we could only
send $4,000 bales of this years
crop abroad. The remaining g.
$4,000 bales in excess of American
consumption would be without mar
ket and would drag the price down.
IL We had accepted Germany's decree
the cotton farmer would probably be
receiving six insead of twenty-eight
cents for his cotton oday, and $40 or
SIS intsead Of SIS for his cotton seed
Furthermore, by destroying the cot
ton industry, Germany would have
forced the Southern cotton farmer
into disastrous competition with the
grain farmers of the middle west
brought about sInothering surpl,s
OF grain and upset and impoverished
the whole of American agriculture
Il trust the South may not be 1e-
luded by the exceptional prices due
to exceptional conditions, and fal
next year into cotton hysteria," M.
Ousley said. 1.-The country needs co..
ton. and must look to the South for
1t. I appeal with confidence to tho
South's patriotism. both in the pro-
duction of an adequate supply of COT
ton and in the production If h"r
own food and feed in order that she
'"&y not become burden upon the
limited food and feed resources of tho
nation.
1T may be assumed as basi,
rule that If the South will raise It's
food and feed apd will increase it's
cattle holdings to reasonable pro-
portions it will not be possible in anv
calculable period to produce NOR"
cotton than the world will be eager To
buy at reasonable price. On tho
ether hand the exceptional prOspcr.
'ty which the South enjoys this yea
by reason of the present high pI;cc
OF cotton may be reversed in twelve
m onths If the entire agricultural on
ergy of the South is given to :otton
production.
''The wise Southern farmer will
plan his 1918 operations with pru-
dent regard for the supplies neces-
sary to maintain his family and his
live stock. The cotton producer
must have meat and bread-vand it is
by no means impossible that with
continuation of the war through an
other year. and q neglect of the
South to produce it's own food and
feed, the people will be put to sore
straits to obtain the necessary sup
plies"
ACTED WITHOUT AUTHORITY