The Robesonian., 1918-01-21
RAISE MORE FOOD sTUFFs

RAISE MORE FOOD sTUFFs
An Appeal to Farmers by a Far
mer to Farm So as to selp Win
the War.
To the Editor Of The Robesonian:
In recent issues of The Robesonian
have noticed that right much has
been said relative to next years to-
bacco crop-mostly in favor of grow
ing large crop Of the weed; but of
course don't mean to say that The
Robesonian is advocating or pushing
the thing (Which Of course it is not
doing.-Editor).
. patriotism it might be we'll to consid- |
er or at least think for a moment on |
the meaning of true patriotism. Does !
True Patriotism consist of ones put |
!, ting forth his best efforts Just to
: make money for himself, though it |
a 6e against his country's best interest!
r VI course no one would say that such
t course would be a patriotic one.
: Then true patriotism must necessar-
e ily consist in ones laboring or work
: ing to his country's best end, even
d tnougA by so doing he should have to
e bank tIk few dollars less at the end of
I the year.
: Now, Brother Farmer, here's what
C mean: Our country is at war Our
n nation is saying "economize". From
Y our Allies comes the word that they
5. are very short on food, even for the
# coming year, and that their only hone
l. is IN their belief that the enemy's food
e supply is even shorter than theirs.
re Our food administrators and Depart-
re ment or Agriculture are asking us to
plant every available acre to food
,e crops.
IS And what are we doing? If Rob-
in eson county isn't planning to plant the
oe biggest tobacco crop that she has ev-
r ef planted even in time Of neace, then
Sc I'm very badly misinformed. The fact
8. IS that I've yet to meet the man who
i'll says hes going to reduce his tobac-
a co acreage. Nearly everybody vor
ly talk to is asking, "How much tobac.
OF co are you going to plant?" If | re-
ny member correctly not single persor
il mas asked me how much food crops
ps l am going to plant
tn recently l saw an account in The
90 hopesonlan Of company that hat
is bought $500 acres of land out from
by and around Lumberton with the in
st, tentlon of planting it all in tobacco
m wonder If they are expecting som
it other company to plant $500 acres o
lot 1000 crops to take care OF those VIII
ey, will devote their time to the tobacc
lift crop. Does this look like a patriot
In enterprise! How many so'a'o~s vi
ift this feed? How many would It fee
rn- if the whole $500 acres were plante
vn- to food crops? Now, wouldn't it loo
en- like really helping out if compan
lift. were to come with the intention :
ull planting 1850 acres to food crops
help out Robe5on's food shortage PAR
he 1t would be 8 great helm, too, if ha
to the amount Of laho1 and money wei
her spent on the same acreage of foe
me crops as will likely be spent IN II
tobacco crop. But think of it! Il
i've great amount Of labor that it will tai
the to care for this crop Of tobacco al
not a single person will it feed; n
AN single domestic animal will it gu
tain; not even the horses that wor
ed to help make it will it feed; n
front one day longer by it's use. Res
ly, on the other hand he would be
~. weaker soldier instead of strong
'o'S one should he use the weed. Abo
ons the only army that it could possit
sustain is the large army Of tobac
ard warns that will be on duty soon {
ter the weed begins to grow
TO We quit growing tobacco two yea
ago to grow food crops and since tt
time, or for the past two seasons,
oil have planted less than five per ce
hich OF our crops to cotton and liant
t in no tobacco at all. ] quit tobacco
u T IL II
hort Clme Wnen really DelleVed tt
stor more money could De made on 1t tn
S to on any otner crop tnaI we could gr
ners for a year or two. But if we had
quit we never would have got
the started at anything else. But I'm
=. in sorry that we made the change, {
Lstor now / do not envy the man who
% in growing cotton and tobacco as a p1
can cipal crop, and buying his other S
at is plies, but rather I sympathize "
" to him for I was once in that place I
on a self and know something about h
uced hard it will seem to many il II
j at should desire to make the change
Of course the way our governm
]ant- is beginning to limit the price OF t
, the to soar, it does look little disco
tions aging to farmer to quit these mo
crop crops at tne nlgn prices peihg !
Any Tor Cnem, ana Deg1n growing
ltage crops; Du1 even aI the present pr
otism we can aI1ord TO grow 1000 crops
and a good profit; and really the {
CON sure high-priced crop is food C
for while these other crops can
and are likely to be limited botl
IN acreage and price by our gov
ment, we are sure of reason;
high price for food crops, and if Il
is no fixed price on the money or
e AL a real large crop of either would
the price Of either down to w
fooL oro,,c ,1nn11ld hn more nrnfit