The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1921-01-14
FARMERS URGED
TO PLANT GRAIN
Commissioner Harris Says 1t is Not
Yet Too Late-Very Few Have
Put in Oats and Wheat.

Columbia, Jan. 11.-Commissioner
Harris says that it is not yet too late
for the farmers to get in some small
grain, and he thinks that it is neces-
sary for them to do so, as his obser-
walton is that little has been planted
up to now.
January is the month for the
farmer to begin to make prepara-
ton to finance his 1921 cotton crop"
says Mr.. Harris. "It has been shown
to the farmer very plainly this year
that he need not look for help be-
yond his own efforts. 1t has been
stated by the highest authorities or
such matters that he must fight his
own battles. To prove this, l see
that after a conference with W. T.
G. Harding, governor of the federal
reserve banking system; Warren G.
Harding, president-elect, has in
dorsed the defation policy of the
federal reserve board, that the
farmer would have to take his medi-
cine along with the rest
"Now the farmer is able to take his
own medicine, but he is not able to
take the other fellows, as he has
been doing. From the conference
between the Messrs. Harding we see
plainly that the farmer must arrange
to finance himself. Whenever he can
do this successfully, the farmer will
be a man and not a mere peddler.
Glow can the farmer finance his
operations in 1921? BY using econ
omy and by so diversifying his crops
as to make home self-supporting and
finally by adopting the Memphis
acreage reduction plan of planting
only one-third of the cultivated lands
in cotton in 1921. If the farmers will
do these three things, they will have
done the greatest good that they
could possibly do for their own pros
perity. If they don't adopt them
I fear that the present generation
and future generation of cotton
farmers will exist in financial slavery
and illiteracy.
81 urged the farmers in September
to sow largely of 'oats and wheat
and vetch. l fear that not many
have needed that warning. From
my own observation I do not find
much grain sowed. Some have told
me that they did not have the money
to do the seeding. 1t is not too late
yet to make a fair crop of oats on
good land.
Time for Barley.
"Let me now appeal to the farmers
who have not planted grain to pre-
pare at once an acre to every two
horses or mules and sow it in beard
less barley. This will be in the
dough stage and ready to cut by the
middle of May. If it is cut and cured
the farmer has virtually corn and
fodder in one.
"The next best thing to do is to
prepare several acres of good land,
well manured, and sow it in Fulghum
oats or 80 day Burt oats and sow
along with it half a bushel of Can
ada field peas. Cut this in the dough
stage and you will get the finest hay
you ever fed in your life. This
should make two tons to the acre as
the Canada field peas will be ready
to cut when the oats are har-
vested.
with half ration of this hay and
the other half corn, horses and mules
will flourish better than on whole
ration of corn without this mixture.
By this method the ground will be
ready the first of June to plant in
corn and peas.
GAS feed for live stock is one of
the most important things man can
raise on his farm, this plan should
be used on good land, of course, and
we'll manured for the season is
short. This is the quickest way I
know of this late in the season to
get horse food.
"Let this be one year that the
farmers will do one thing that they
have not done for so years, see to