The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1921-12-01
Must Use Brains
SavsDr. ". W.Long

One of the features of the opening
day of the baby county fair week of
| the state was the Illuminating ad-
| dress to the farmers and business
| people of Bamberg county delivered
by none other than the distinguished
DR.. w. w. Long, head of the eXten-
sion department of Clemson college.
DR.. Long has favored us with import
ant talks before, but on Tuesday he
held the splendid attention of a splen-
did audience, and his speech was un-
usually we'll received and accorded
much merit. These speeches are
made to help the stricken sections to
beat the boil weevil, and while the
speakers address was not written.
and therefore can not be published in
full, still, DR.. Long said in part far
mers could not beat the Weevil by
talking about him and damning him
| with their tongues. The weevil is
here and here to stay.
He opened by saying that some
years ago he visited Bamberg on a
speaking expedition against the boil
weevil, touring the sections then
which would soon be reached by the
weevil. But nobody was interested
then; they hadn't been hit yet, and
he almost had to talk to himself.
However, he was glad to realize the
interest manifested now by our peo-
pie although sorry that the situation
had to be driven home to them so
vitality before they properly prepar-
ed to meet the emergency. DR.. Long
said that in the good old days we
enioyed a God given section where
King Cotton was an 'all fools crop,
all that was needed to grow it boun-
tifully was the land, a little fertil-
izer, few seeds, and niger and a
| mule. Brains and intelligence could
| be used then for other matters. But
our planters today must be educated
to farm under boil weevil obstacles.
The day of putting some cotton
seeds in the ground and watching
them grow into prosperity for the
owner has passed; likewise, the day
! of the do-less, brainless farmer has
passed. To be successful he must be
on the job on the jump every min
ute. Cotton can be made in spite
of the weevil, but it can't make it
self. Diversification must be prac-
ticed as we'll as preached, but in di-
versifcation there is no significant
term which would imply bringing
here new outside crops which this
section would know nothing about.
Such attempts would be sheer folly
and bankrupt any community.
PLANT what we know how to
plant; raise what we know how to
raise" is the advice of DR.. Long. But
go about it with more zeal and re-
newed energy. Hustle, and our
neighbor will hustle too. Bamberg
county can raise hogs as profitably
as Illinois, but if we are to enjoy the
prosperity which we deserve in pro-
ducing anything the farmers must
first become an organized band OF
business men such as has reaped
prosperity from the fields, groves and
orchards of California for the highly
organized farmers of that state. Or
ganize, create demand, protective
market.
DR.. Long expressed himself as be-
| ing especially pleased to see the spir-
it of cooperation among the people of
the county. He compimented the
exhibition on the Exchange grounds,
and predicted a great future for the
Bamberg county fair. We greatly
need to get the people together to
plan and devise new and modern me-
| thods of farming. While even a syn
opsis of his talk cannot be given here,
one of the notable things DIR. Long
said was his urgency that cotton
stalks be plowed under every year
| lust as early as possible. Expert
ments have shown that in fields
where stalks were turned under in
the early fall only small percentage
of weevils survived the winter; begin
ming with three per cent. survival,
the percentage increased, until where
the stalks were not turned under un-
til January /, the survival of weevlls
equaled SO per cent. of the previous
years infestation.
| Getting Together.