The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1917-03-09
OOO. 1000 bushels more than the total
net production of 547.000,000 bushels
in 1916.


net production of 547.000,000 bushels
in 1916.
Smaller Potato Crop.
"The total potato crop for the nine
years ending with 1915 averaged 34o,-
S61 900 bushels. while the production
last year was 56,S97,000 bushels less
than the average Of the preceding
nine years. Our total potato crop
and by this l mean white potatoes
last year was 2SS,964,000 bushels.
whereas in 1914 it was 405,92O,00O
bushels, and in 1912 it was 420,641,O0O
bushels. Even as far back as 1907 1t
was nearly 10,000,000 bushels in eX-
cess of this years crop.
The sweet potato crop, which IS
never large compared with white po-
tatoes-sweet potatoes being almost
exclusively a product of the South
amounted last year to 67,663,000 bus
hels, or a decrease of 100000 bush
els as compared to the preceding year.
Under these conditions. could any
intelligent man have possibly expect
ed anything but very heavy increase
in cost of foodstuffs? Moreover, it
should be borne in mind that we are
making practically no increase what
ever in live stock production during
the last ten years, Notwithstanding
the enormous increase in our popu,
lation, amounting to about 20000,
900 every decade The country Is
face to face with the situation that
the supply Of live stock, and of all
other foodstuffs, is relatively and
rapidly declining, as compared with
the population. The only way IL
which this condition can by any pos
sibility be overcome is by enlarged
acreage in foodstuffs and greater al
tention to live stock production. The
farmers of the country have not been
unduly prosperous. Indeed they have
not had their full share Of prosper
ty as compared with the industrial
and mercantile and financial inter-
ests. To berate the farmers because
they have not raised more foodstuffs
would be as absurd as the suggestion
to reduce the cost of foodstuffs By
putting an embargo on the exports
of grain and meats. The moment an
embargo was placed on the export of
foodstuffs, the trend of population
from the country to the city would be
increased, and the supply of foodstuffs
would be further lessened by such a
movement The only possible way In
which we can overcome this situation
is a movement back from the city
to the farm, based on economic con-
ditions, and on prices which justify
the farmer in putting in larger acre
age and in paying the high wages now
required to secure farm labor. Any
movement which would tend to dis
courage the farmers Of the country
from enlarging their acreage and en-
ployiug more laIborers, even at the
present high rates of wages, would
ultimately result in still further de-
crease in foodstuffs, and correspond
ingly higher prices. even as compar-
ed with present figures There are
certain economic laws ruling the
world, which can never be changed by
man-made laws, and this is one ol
them.
Under these circumstances, with the
assurance that for some years to
come the world will need more food
stuffs than it is producing, it should
be the aim of every newspaper and
every business man in the country
to do all that is possible to encour-
age farmers to increase their acreage,
to cultivate more thoroughly, and
thus to enlarge the supply of food
stufs to meet the worlds pressing
needs