The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1922-01-12
Program for Southern Farmers.

In view of the approaching early
opening of the Colonial Creamery
Company at Florence, S. G., which
concern will pay cash for cream, poul-
try and eggs, the following article
published in the Southern Railway
Livestock Bulletin, will be of interest
to bankers, business men generally,
and to farmers in the Coastal Plain
sections of the Carolinas.
Sour cream dairying, hogs and poul-
try is q program that is appealing
strongly to business men, bankers,
and all people who appreciate the
fundamental Importance of the agri-
cultural industry as well as to the
farmers themselves.
The fact that cotton as the princi-
pal source of cash income and as
safe basis for credit is no longer de-
pendaple and safe is apparent to every
one and while we shall continue to
produce cotton, we now realize that
the economic error of importing food
and feed stuffs, paying more therefor
than it would cost to produce those
necessities upon our own lands, must
be corrected.
Diversifcation of crops has been
urged and while fine progress in di-
versifcation has been made, we have
found, as we have diversified our
agriculture, simply raising 4 wider
range of crops to be marketed in the
raw state, that our marketing prob
lens have been immense and now
most farmers as other interested peo-
pie tell you that marketing farm pro-
duction is our greatest problem.
It is remarkable, and we would sug-
gest it should be source Of gratifi-
cation to everyone interested in agri-
culture, that the greatest problem is
in connection with what may be term
ed staple crops, such as corn, hay and
other products, that are most desir-
able feeds for live stock. Fruits and
vegetables are being marketed more
efficiently and while there is much
room for improvement in our market
ing system for these, fruit and truck
and vegetable farmers are in much
better shape so far as marketing is
concerned than are general farmers
who happen to have some surplus
corn, hay, etc.
The fact that so many millions OF
dollars worth of hay, oats, corn and
other feed stuffs are being imported
into the South every year in the form
of butter and other dairy products,
poultry and eggs, not to mention
pork and beef, ought to give US hope
with reference to the problem con-
fronting us so far as the marketing
of grain, hay and other feed stuffs
is concerned.
Every farm, whether large or small,
ought to have upon it few cows and
q Rock of chickens and 1 brood SOW
or two. Rather, we would say, every
farmer ought to keep two or three
cows per horse, that is to say, two
or three cows for each work animal.
A flock of chickens and brood sow
or two, or at any rate, sufficient
chickens and hoge to consume all
the surplus skim milk produced. The
cream should be sold to creamery
and receipts for cream sold and for
poultry sold throughout the year will
be found sufficient to meet current
expenses of the farm and family.
This plan would not only solve the
urgent marketing problems of today
but would place the South upon a
sound economic basis, keeping many
a dollar at home that now goes be-
yond our borders for butter and other
dairy products, poultry, eggs, etc.
The South's position is splendid now
for reorganization Of its agricultural
system. We have more surplus feed
than ever before and have to great
er extent than ever in our recent
history become accustomed to grow
ing grain and forage. Our dairy cat
tie and breeding hogs are more nu-
merous and of better quality, having
beer steadily improved during the
last few years. The greatest need is
for stronger moral support Of the
dairyirg, hogs and poultry program
by business men and bankers and a
more liberal policy in the matter of
eredit to those farmers who have been
"sold" on the program and want some
good cows.
Creameries have teen established
until practically everJ community now
has fairly convenient creamery mar
ket where sour cream may be sold.