The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-01-08
CROPS FOR
THE YEAR
Chamber of Commerce Getting
a Line on Farm Program

oHe nundreQ ana Twenty-Five farm
! ers who applied for tobacco seed at
Sumter Chamber OF Commerce on
last Saturday and Monday were ask
ed the question, How much will you
cut your cotton acreage for 1922"
Every one, white and colored, large
and small farmers replied that they
Will not plant more than one-half
their lands, and most of them said
| hey will not plant more than one
third Of their land in cotton. Some
few said they will not plant any cot
| ton.
Being questioned as to what they
VIII plant they said that corn, oats,
sweet potatoes, sorghum cane, vege-
tables, hogs. chickens, wheat. pea
nuts. and other food and feed stufrs
will supplant cotton.
Another question asked Of these
farmers was What are your neigh
Dor farmers going to do about this
cotton acreage reduction proposition
The prevailing reply was that every
| farmer would cut cotton to the lin
it-that is that they will not plant
on average of more than eight acres
to the plow and hundreds will not
pant more than five or Six acres to
the plow. The cotton acreage reduc-
ton proposition in Sumter county is
apparently mo farmers dream" but
genuine, bOnafide, actual fact for
1921.
The Chamber Of Commerce is
preaching cotton acreage reduction to
every applicant for tobacco seed as
| a In A,Nl f,
why there should be reduction and
more food and feed stuffs raised.
Many farmers said that they simply
rad to reduce their cotton acreage
for several reasons. First there is no
sense in adding more cotton to the al
ready large surplus which they can
sell only for less than cost of pro-
duction. Second the land owners
are in hundreds Of instances finan-
cially unable to supply tenants or
snare croppers except for limited
acerages of cotton, and on increased
'llVe at home" crop acreage
Second: The Sumter county banks
and supply merchants, fertilizer deal
ers, horse and mule, agricultural ma
chinery dealers will not furnish mon
ey or goods to any but those who sign
the pledge TO plant not exceeding one
third of their lands in cotton during
1921.
Third: 1t is very proba BILE that
The Sumter county banks and supply
merchants and dealers of every kind.
that is those who sell on credit will
not, during 1921 do anything like as
much credit business AS they have
hn
Years, and what money is advanced
and what credit is extended OH sup
plies Of every kind will be advanced
strictly on the One-third cotton acre
age plan. 1t is evident that hun
dreds Of share croppers of days gone
by will be working for some one else
during 1921, and will be paid small
wages in comparison to what they
have been getting for several years,
plus so many acres of land to cult
vate for themselves. The conditions
prevailing in Sumter county are typi-
cal in about every other county in the
Pee Dee section and eastern Caro-
riina counties.
Forced reduction of cotton acreage
by twO-thirds and more hog and
hOminY' and "lasses" will be the
prevailing bill Of fare in South Caro-
lima for some time to come.
II is expected that sumter coun-
~ Will rapidly pull out of the hole
of agricultural, commercial, and
financial depression. And that we will
do it as we did in 1914 and 1916, by
economy. cooperation, growing more
food and feed stuffs, and by the new
process of cotton acreage reduction,
and by better business methods on
the farm and in The stores