Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1920-07-14
THIS
PAlGN

| ricultural Department was empow-
cred to standardiZe the grades from
! time to time and to promulgate the
same. This it did, increasing the
number Of grades to 81 or 90, TAX
] ing in such character of cotton as to
, permit the exchanges to practice ap-
proximately the same abuses as they
had before practiced. then intro
duccd and had passed an amendment
to the Cotton Futures Act" restrict
ing the number Of grades that might
be delivered on contracts SO that
these abuses might not be practiced
again.
Throughout the whole Southeast,
including pre-emineutly my own
State, the production Of our land is
dependent upon artificial fertiliZa-
ton. The most essential ingredient
and the highest priced is nitrogen or
ammonia. Prior to our entry into the
war l introduced and had passed q
bill appropriating twenty million
dollars for the erection Of a plant or
plants for the extraction Of nitrogen
from the air. The quantity to be de-
rived from the air'is unlimited. The
production Of these plants was to be
sold to the farmers at cost during
times Of peace. immediately after
the passage Of this provision we en-
tered the war, and the government,
realizing its dependence upon nitro.
gen for munition purposes as we'll as
agricultural purposes, has practically
completed plant at Muscle Shoals,
Alabama, which will in a measure,
| when In full operation, meet the re-
QuirementS Of this section for nitro
gen. There Is a bill now pending be-
| fore Congress which l had the honor
to favorably report for the Agricul-
tural Committee, creating a govern
ment corporation to put into effect
this piece Of constructive legislation.
During the hearings on this bill DR..
Whitney. the Chief Of the Bureau of
Soils, testified that it was possible to
produce phosphoric acid from phos-
phate rock and silica or sand, and by
the same process and from certain
shales in Georgia and potash-bearing
rocks of the country to extract pot
ash and combine these two ingredi-
ents with the nitrogen, thus produc-
ing at the same time a complete fer
tilizer
After the war broke out the price
Of nitrate OF soda scared to such
price In the hands OF the manipula-
tors as to lay an almost prohibitive
. burden on the farmers CT this coun-
try. l found that the price in Chill,
our source of supply, was such that
IL it could be bought and transported
by the government, a material saw
ing to the farmers could be secured,
thus enabling them to produce more
for themselves and the country.
introduced and had passed bill
appropriating twenty million dol
q re hn ivi hn
to purchase this soda and sell it to
the farmers at cost This was done
at ar 'nd seventy-fve dollars per ton
deliV ,.ied. The prevailing price pre-
vious to the passage Of this bill was
from ninety to one hundred dollars
per ton, and in many localities even
more. No one can predict where the
price would have gone il 1t had not
been for this piece Of legisla ton. or
course 1t was impossible to secure a
supply Of potash as our sources Of
supply were in German territory,
but | Immediately, upon the signing
or the armistice, took such steps with
the War Trade Board as resulted in
the lifting Of the embargo on potash,
which resulted in the farmers receiv-
ing this year at least partial sup
ply at a more reasonable figure.
adequate supply of fertilizer is solved
the prosperity Of our country is
solved. Bread and meat has been,
and always will be. the founda ton
Of the prosperity Of any country, and
| am glad that ] have been able to
contribute something to the perma-
nent solution Of this question.
During the latter part Of the past
session Of Congress ! introduced and
had passed a resolution calling upon
the Bureau Of Census to give the
number Of bales Of cotton held in
storage that were Of recognized spin
nable grades, and the number Of
bales, including linters, that were
unfit for ordinary spinning purposes
This enabled the country to know
exactly what our supplies Of cotton
were, in order that intelligent action
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