The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-10-14
Tobacco Planting
Campaign For
Sumter County
China-American Tobacco and
Trading Co, and Sumter
Leaf Tobacco Co., Make
Suggestion That
Should be
Adopted

NE. r1uSi "A. tS1ittlOio ", " ~. Ss'~i'e-
ing the China American Tobacco
and Trading Company, OF Rock
Mount, North Carolina, the lessees
and operators Of the big Sumter
Tobacco Stemmery Company plant
and representing also the Sumter
Leaf Tobacco Company, conferred
with i. I. Reardon, the secretary.
and with numbers Of other n:ena-
bers of the Sumter Chamber Of
Commerce and other business men
Of Sumter Wednesday and Thurs
day regarding the proposed to-
bacco planting campaign for sum
ter county. Mr. Williford has
agreed that his companies MaH
supply. at their expense. all of the
tobacco. seed for free distribution
by the, Chamber of Commerce.
Mr.. Williford says his companies
are very much interested in the
future development of the tobacco
industry in Sumter county and in
the building up OF the Sumter to-
bacco market because they haze
hundreds of thousands OF dollars
invested in SunlIer in their tobac-
leo stenaming and redrying plant
and in capitalization of their COM.
panies for doing business in Sum.
ter.
He thinks that the business ,es-.
adjustments of Sumter and the
,banks and large farm land own
ers of Sumter and Sumter county
viii do well to adopt Mr.. r. 3.
Belser's suggestion that special
and practical tobacco .demonstca-
tor be employed immediately to
go around over the county to in.
struct or to confer with farmers
about preparing tobacco beds. set
ting out plants. cultivation, har-
lyesring and curing Of tobacco. And
Ito talk up the Shmter tobacco mar
| ket.
Me-. Williford's companies have
started. the ball rolling by con-
tributions TO this fund, because 1t
Will cost them possibly several hun.
dred dollars or more, depending
ON the acreage, for tobacco seed aol.
free distribution Whether the
China Tobacco and Trad
ing Company the Sumter Leaf To-
| baceo Company, and Secretary
Reardon receive any cooperation
and financial assistance rom Sum
!ter's banks and other business con-
Germs and from large land owners.
these two companies and the sec
retary will push the planting Of
! tobacco for all they are. worth.
But it does seem that. with two q
| the largest tobacco companies N
1 the United States, one OF them. the
!. China-American Tobacco and Trad
ling Company. one of the largest
exporting companies in the world
investing its money and furnishing
! its expert representatives to- help
! build up the tobacco industry AMI
!; Sumter tobacco market, it does
seem that Sumter merchants and
other business men and land own
ers would wake up to necessity OF
doing something to help outsiders
/ who want TO help Sumter and help
Sumter's business establishments.
November the first is the time
/, that this proposed special tobacco
farm demonstrator should get to
! work. He could also distribute the
seed. which will do lot to start
farmers to thinking about planting
! tobacco beds. Sumter,s business
concerns and farm land owners can
not in the future sit down and de-
pend for business on cotton alone.
Tobacco for several years, until the
! dairy. hog, fruit, truck. and other
diversified farm productions are
made possible and profitable will be
or could be made Sumter county 5
next best cash crop.