Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1921-01-26
SIGN THE PLEDGE.
Mr.. B. R. Tillman Gives Some:
Sound Advice and Urges
Farmers to Sign the
Pledge.

/ The individuals problem is, to
farm during 1921 so as to make some
money and wipe out a part of the
losses, entailed by the year 1920.
The problem is local, as well as
Statewide. South Carolina has diff
ferent problem to that of the Texas
farmer. His cotton grows without fer
tiGzer. We can not make large crops
that way. We must put guano into
kthe ground, except on lands already
improved by SANE FARMING-or,,
farming with a reasonable number Of
livestock, pea vines plowed in on the
lands, and put in cotton every third
year heretofore. That land will make
a crop if the seasons are good, and
the weevil does not get it. 1t appears
to me however that the most essen
tion and necessary thing for EACH
of US, is to first provide meat, meal
and flour for the farm, and produce
enough of these for the labor and.the
stock on each place. Your western
wheat farmer has reduced the fall
acreage by approximately 12,000,-
600 acres of wheat and my guess is
that flour will not go so low that we.
can afford to buy for negroes with
Ia cents cotton. All of Europe must
eat, whether old clothes are worn or
not as must all other peoples of the
earth and food stuffs can not be
bought as cheaply as they can be
raised. There is, of course, the pc
riod of rehabilitation in countries
which have been devastated by war
and general industries will again be,
put in operation. but those nations
which have heretofore been our Gus
toners are either broke or hard press
ed for money-so hard pressed and
so in debt that it is inconceivable
that anything bit the most economi-i
cal and close living will be indulged
lin tseatainlg ws ave evidence
enough that people cover there" do
not buy our wares now, and the ex-.
PLANTATION is simple enough. They
HAD TO BUY DURING THE WAR.
They can do without now and are do
ing so, because they are broke.
Then too, we have the boil weeviI
with US. There has not been a day
this winter so far that will destroy
him. He will survive in freezing tenn
perature, and the temperature must.
get down to around thirteen above
zero to kill him. Why take the
chances? 1t is almost a certainty that
we will have heavy losses next year
from this cause. DON'T PLANT TOO
MUCH COTTON.
More important however, is the
greater reason: That, for the first
time there seems to be a universal
demand by the farmers that they be
given a FAIR RETUR-- for their
product. There is at least skeleton
Organization, and in many places
perfected organization. The class as
a whole who till the soil are seeing
that it is worth while to pull together
Allowing for reasonable number
of selfish and self centered people,
l believe there is today more incli-
nation to consider the advantages of
helping one another, and co-opera-
tion, than have ever seen among
farmers. The Cotton association is
ANXIOUS TO CULTIVATE THIS
SPIRIT land make it grow. We all
know if the production could be re-
duced to seven million bales per an
mum, there would be ample lands for
all food crops, and large profits in
cotton, but each year the individuals
who farm lose sight of the fact that
the price will be governed by the
number of bales produced IN the en-
tire belt and if there is a large sur
plus inevitably we face cheap cotton.
Is it possible to organize the Cotton
Farmers? We do not know. An ear.
nest effort is being made to find out.
The American Cotton Association
will eventually receive all the data,
the South Carolina Association gets
and the South Carolina Associations
will get all that is obtained as to
Edgefeld county. The appeal is in
the entire belt "sign the Pledge"
What are you men of Edgefeld going