The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1921-11-10
Suggested Farm Program.
To the Editor of TIE County Record

Some weeks ago a number of busi-
ness men of the state realizing that
there is q crying neel for a well
thought out program for agricultural
procedure under boil weevil conditions
asked DR.. w. w. Long and Hon. R. l.
Manning to form a committee of well
qualified men to formulate such a
program for tie state.
These gentlemen appointed the fol-
lowing committee which met in Co.
lumbia on September 9th: DR.. w. w.
Long, Wade Drake, ]. Ross Hanahan.
r. C. Hamer, ]. w. CASTOR, G. w.
Duvall, DR.. w. G. Brown, R. B. Cum
ningham, B. w. Segars, R. l. Manning,
and D. R. Coker. Mr.. Coker was Sc
lected as chairman and Mr.. Cunning
ham as secretary. All were present
except Mr.. Hamer.
The opinion of every member as to
the best farming methods for boil
weevil conditions were fully express
ed and all agreed on the main features
of program. A subcommittee, con-
sisting of B. w. Segars, R. B. Cum
ningham, ]. w. CASTOR, DR.. w. w.
Long, and D. R. Coker, was appointed
to draft the program. This commit
tee met in Columbia on October 5th,
all present except DR.. Long, who was
represented by Mr.. Blackwell, and the
accompanying program and recon-
mendations are the result of their
work. This program in substantially
its present form was submitted to all
the members of the committee. Mr..
brakes approval of the program has
rot been received and Mr.. Hamer has
withheld approval as he considers it
conflicts with the Cotton Associations
plan of not more than one-fourth of
any farm being planted to cotton.
The program was submitted to a
meeting of farm demonstration agents
at Clemson College Friday, October
7th, and was discussed and approved.
The program, therefore, goes to the
people with the authority of strong
and experienced committee and with
the o. k. of the Extension Department.
Copies Of the program are being
sent to all of the newspapers in the
state who are requested to make edi-
torial comment on it and urge every
subscriber to give it the widest posi-
BILE publicity. Bankers, merchants
and manufacturers are requested to
have the program printed in conven-
lent form and to distribute it as wide
ly as possible to the farmers.
The march of the boil weevil across
the cotton belt has been accompanied
by panic and decentralization. Farm
ers, bankers and merchants frighten-
ed by one or two years of heavy loss
es, have in many cases, curtailed
operations and credits to the point
where farming was stifled and labor
was forced to leave the country to
prevent starvation. There are signs
that a similar panic may occur in
parts of this state unless means are
taken to reassure the people and point
out a safe course for agricultural
operations under boil weevil condi-
tions. To this end group OF prac-
tical farmers and business men in
cooperation with the Extension Bu-
reau have studied the situation in the
light of their own experience and that
of other states and the accumulated
experimental results OF governmental
agencies and beg leave to present the
following suggestions and program as
one which will meet the situation,
preventing demoralization and en-
abling our farming and business in
terests to continue profitable opera
tions.
1t is especially important to prevent
our people from stampeding into new
and untried fields of agriculture in
which they will fail for lack of in
formation and experience. Promising
new crops should of course be tested
and where proved successful should
be increased as rapidly as the people
gain experience but not faster.
The problem is not so much as to
what to do as it is how to reassure
the people end get the information
of how to proceed to every farmer,
renter, and sharecropper in the state.
This must be done if it is done at all
by the larger farmers, merchants,
bankers and professional men who
should make it their business to reach
the isolated farmers and tenants and
discuss with them the program of
operations under boil weevil condi-
tions. The greatest responsibility
rests upon the landowners. If they