The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1922-07-13

SSuGIdl VIC" pOI1t 10 OIO VI oooo
and suspicion, the farmer remained
true to the teachings Of his fathers,
only occasionally did he wander off
and become the willing plant tool of
the demagogue. Today he is coming
into his own for the people realize
now as never before if there is to be
any race betterment of permanent
value there must be bettermen1 of
the masses. "a great nation is not
the outgrowth of few men of genius
but the superlative worth OF great
common people,"
The Present Potential Agricultural
Power of South Carolina.
The potential agricultural power
Of South Carolina is greater today
than any time in it's history. | know
this is startling statement; of
course, 1 appreciate the seriousness
of the present situation.
Let me sum up briefly my reasons
for stating that the potential agricul-
tural power of the state is greater
today than any time in is history.
1st. There has never been time
in the history of the world when
mere was such a store Of practical
and useful information for the guild
arce of the farmer as t2Gay.
md. There was never time IN re-
ce1t history when t1.-a was a great
er sympathy and more general un-
derstanding of the farmers problems
py the general public than to1ay.
3rd. There was Il ave: as mach fav-
orable Legislation eDac.5.l o. tinan-
cial and econon character ir the
interest of agri :ilture as there is
today.
4th. There is Nd soil that will re-
spond to intelligen: treatment more
readily than the sol! cf South Caro-
lima.
5th. There is no country that can
produce as many soil building crops
as South Carolina and the adjacent
states.
9Th. There is 40 country that can
produce a greater number of nitro
genous crops Tor forage than South
Carolina.
7th. There is 20 country that can
produce greater number OF money
crops than South Carolina: namely,
cotton, tobacco, peanuts, soy beans.
sweet potatoes, and practically all
the truck crops in the lower coun-
ties
Sth. There is no country that can
produce pork and dairy products
more economically than South Caro-
lima owing to our ability to produce
such a variety of forage crops.
9th. There is no country that can
produce more profitably peaches,
grapes, and small berries than South
Carolina.
10th. And last, but by no means
least, now that the farmers have at
last determined to put the business
end of farming which is largely the
marketing of farm products on a
business basis, by organizing farm
ers' cooperative commodity market
ing associations.
I admit it is one thing to possess
the potential power and another
thing to develop and use it intelli-
gently. But I have a sublime faith
in the fiber, the stability, and the ul-
innate common sense of our people,
for the agricultural record they have
made within the last twenty-five
years justifies this faith. Twenty
five years ago the average yield of
corn per acre was II bushels. To-
day it is 10. The average yield OF
oats per acre was 13 bushels, today it
is "a bushels. The average yield or
wheat was 5 bushels, today it is IL
bushels. The average yield of cot
ton per acre was 1877 pounds of lint,
today it is 247 pounds. The aver
age yield of all the great stable crops
Of South Carolina has increased
within the last twenty-five years, ex-
pressed in percentages IS per cent,
nearly double. And we have just
scratched upon the surface, the next
decade will see a further increase of
100 per cent.
But just think, gentlemen, what
infinite labor it has taken to secure
theseresults. For it must be remem-
bered that southern agriculture 25
years ago consisted simply in series
of motions inherited from Adam and
the time merchant and factor were
the only agencies the farmer could
turn to for financial aid, and they