The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-11-01

ed cross fences would be put in. Cows
enough to Craze off the waste would
be run in the corn fields so that there
would be the minimum of litter left
where peanuts would be planted in
the rotation in 1921. If it were not
for the dogs, sheep could be used
! profitably. and particularly to under
brush the branch swamps and heads
on the farms. but until a sane dog
law is enacted sheep can not be used
and swampy places will give harbor-
age to wcevils during winter. Mr..
Matthews declared that the velvet
| bean was the best feed for hogs he
had ever seen and the only one that
will keep them all the year round.
Mr. Matthews said that in the
main the lands around Blackville were
| better than the lands they saw IN
Georgia and Alabama. with the pos
sible exception Of around Americus
and Dothan, where the best of lands
were undoubtedly better, but not as
well farlned; that in none of the sec
tions visited had he seen crops to
compare with the corn and velvet
beans of the Blackville section. Mr..
4 Matthews made fine impression on
| the audience.
Crum Boy1ston said he made the
trip not to find out how to grow cot
ton, but to investigate the programs
Of the busted cotton farmers who mad
come back; that any farmer who
would go to Tillman, would see what
the second year Of the boil weevil
would do to the man who tried to
grow one more full crop of cotton'
| that there was fine cotton gin there
| that last year glnned $500 bales
and this year. despite a big acreage.
| it. had not fired up its boilers. Got
! ton as a main crop is a thing OF the
past with us here he said "and
| peanuts will be our salvation: Pea
nuts as a cash crop will make US
more money per acre than cotton, at
lower cost for labor and fertilizer and
peanuts sold to the hogs will make as
more money per. acre and per man
than peanuts sold off the farm" On
his farm, the peanut, corn, velvet
| bean and hog program would go on
January /. though an effort would be
made to grow little cotton On the
rich high land well removed from the
swamps.
Winton r. Walker detailed his in
vestigationS of conditions at Mef1-
dian, Miss, five years ago. where cot
ton production shrunk from $4,000
bales in four years to 5000 bales. Re
Gently he had again visited Meridian
and learned from the district agri-
cultural supervisor that shipments OF
hogs, cows, chickens to the st. Louis
market far exceeded in value The big
gest cotton crops at the highest
prices. Mr Walker emphasized the
necessity for the community to adopt
uniform varieties for live stock and
chickens, as well as peanuts, so that
thorough grading could be practiced
in cooperative shipments, in order
that the best products be sold at theif
quafity price instead of being pulled
down to the price for the lower
grades. -
Before the meeting adjourned,
County Agent Boylston notified the
assembly that he would be prepared
to get the, best seed peanuts at close
prices, and would also be able to get
them fencing at the carload price for
LESS than carload quantities: He urged
them to place their orders with him
early for limestone, as every speaker
had stressed the necessity Of It's lib
eral use in growing peanuts
TyI, r,,icsfio rnfo
this meeting. There was no hesitancs
in recommending the program. There
was no indication of fear. At the sale
of the Judson: Hair estate this week
with boil weevils in every field. .land
brought $3.50 an acre, and some of II
Eclose to town more than $500 an acre
The speakers at Thursdays meeting
have volunteered to speak in every
school house in the Blackville area
in every negro church and to work
with the share croppers so that undes
the new conditions they will get MOI
less from the beginning than they go
under the cotton regime for their skill
and labor. And one Of the banks has
already advertised the fact that ir
lSaV COItOu Will ilOI NC INC CcoAS W
credit, but peanuts will be.
A flour mill, with self rising at
u tachment, is to be established a.
Blackville- by Claude Fishburn anc
1 every farmer is to- be urged to plant
4 enough wheat for his own needs next
y,ar. 1t would be 'better.if they woule
plant f~vugh for themselves and
little to SELL. for seed wheat commands
a good price. and there are plenty OF
non-producers who would be glad tc
get home made flour from nome
grown wheat.
In the rotations discussed at this
meeting, there was no mention Of the
COW pea, either as a. grain crop or as
hay. On farms where peanuts are
grown there is always a plentiful sup
ply Of hay from the tops and the tes'
timony of the Blackville delegation
that in Alabama mules were buck
fat and they saw no poor farm STOCK
! is ample testimony of the pa!ata etlits
and feeding value of. peanut hay.
Blackville is very considerable
oS 1c.