The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-01-20

The farmers of Sumter count,
have never begun to prepare for 9
cotton crop with SO much uncertain.
ty as to the price that they are likely
to receive for it. This we all know
that the price Of fertilizers are high
and that there is no potash worth
mentioning. What will the farmers
or sumter county do this year Al
the present prices of supplies and fer.
tilizers, if we do not receive as muct
as fifteen cents per pound for cotton
next fall there will be no profit as i,
is produced on the average farm
Growing cotton without making q
profit is very poor farming indeed
We all know that cotton is soil rob.
Der crop and that it takes liberal an.
plications Of fertilizer to keep land
up that is run in cotton year after
year. This past fall the high prices
for seed have helped the profit OF
growing cotton very materially, but as
soon as peace in Europe is declared
the price of seed is sure to slumn 70
about half of the price that obtained
this past fall. Oil and linters. two
products of cotton seed, are used ,n
the manufacture Of powder and il is
the demand for these two products
that is making the seed bring such n
good price,
Last summer the cotton crop gave
up about the time that storm came
in July and of course we all attriblt-
ed 1t to the storm. I am not at all
sure but that the lack of potash had
something to do in many cases in
cotton giving up and rot coming back.
Potash tends to combine the phos-
phorous and nitrogen in a plant and
to Keep the plants green. Cotton
needs potash more than any of the
crops that we grow on account of itg
long growing period. Corn natures
ABOUT the middle of August, You may
cut 1t down about that time and the
ears will be mature bat conditions in
September and October have q great
deal to do with the cotton crop. A
failure to make a good crop on any
farm when a considerable amount OF
expense Is involved means very little
profit. If any, if the price remains
nigh and big loss. IL the, price drops
below ten cents, as is likely with
sixteen or seventeen million tie
crop. &.
- II the boil weevil makes the same
progress another year In this direction
as he made this past year we shall
see weevils in Sumter county next
fall. They are not likely to do any
damage next fall in this county but
they will likely arrive for business the
next year 1918. So this is the Year
for us to get ready for him. We have
not organized a single cream route IN
the county. In three sections Of the
county farmers have told me that
they were going to increase their num-
Der Of cows and grow fed in order to
start up delivering milk later. There
is no profit in growing livestock or
producing dairy products unless the
feed is produced on the farm. Corn,
hay. velvet beans, peanuts and peas
a 10
ties that at least three cream routes
could be started up profitably in Sum-
ter county another year, and about
twice as many hogs and beef cat
tie should be raised.
There are a number of orchards
that were sprayed last winter for scale
that are looking we'll at this time.
Every year the nursery agents go
through our county ard take up or
ders from the farmers at about dou-
bic the price that the same trees
could be purchased direct from the
nurseries. Some Of them by using
their pretty pictures impose upon
some farmers who think that the
price they pay for thing determin es
its quality, and reap some very, very
large profits. Two years ago I was
informed by a reliable farmer that he
paid as high as 81 apiec for peach
trees and l am not exaggerating when
| state that this same farmer will
never get peck of peaches per tree,
If he ever gets peach. due to the
fact that the trees were neglected. His
trees were just as good and no better
than those that may be purchased
from numbers of nurseries at from
four to ten cents apiece. can SHOW