Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1922-04-04
SON AND FATHER

Here is n worth while letter on the
farming problems now confronting the
people of this section. 1t comes from
]. D. Brandon, cooperative demonstra-
ton agent at Bamberg and it's pecu-
liar value arises out Of the fact that it
is in the nature of a heart to heart talk
from son to father, and not mere
thoughtless advice. The writer is a
York county man and a graduate of
Clemson College. His father Is Mr.. j.
E. Brandon, Of McC6nnellsville. Family
matters mentioned in the letter, of
course are omitted:
How Is farming coming along up
there? Guess you are getting ready to
plant big crop for the next year.
Well, 1t is bound to happen; 1t hap
pened here and it will happen there
within the next. two years. It's no use
to try to stop it; but 1t Is better to
help it along. Just advise everybody
to plant all the cotton they can plant,
and the least amount Of corn, wheat,
oats, peas, etc. Tell them to sell out
all the brood sows along with the
cows, buy high priced ready mixed
fertilizers, and load up with high
priced mules. Then everything will
be ready for the weevil. This is how
it always happens. / am not prophe-
sying; but watch 1t. Everybody up
there will make fair crop this year,
and will think that the weevils wont
hurt hereafter; but from what / could
see last summer, that must have been
your first year with them.
well, l should say plant cotton
again this year; but | certainly would
invest in sow and a cow to the plow,
and enough chickens to supply the
farm. would begin to break away
from the one crop system, and do a
little fencing, plant a row OF velvet
! beans for every row of corn, and
enough peanuts to keep that old SOW
from starving: the fight is going to be
hard and long.
Have you joined the cotton market
ing association yet; If you have not
want you to and check on me for the
fee. Do it at once and get it started
off in York county. / have made UP
my mind that if the farmers do not
take to this and stick, then / am for
ever done with; farming, unless / move
to Oklahoma, or North Carolina, where
they have q marketing organization.
II am convinced that we have got to
take n forward step along marketing
lines and If we do not, we might as
well take down our hopes and ideals
bury them and settle down to life OF
| drudgery and poverty.
you can talk OF it being impossible
to organize the farmer so he will stick
and you may enumerate the farmer or
ganizations that have failed; but this
is one organization that will succeed
Don't get the idea that cotton will not
always be our main cash crop. Divine
guidance has brought the weevil here
to get us out Of trouble and the one
| crop system. The Lord has seen that
we will always be poor as long as He
| allows us to make big crops of cotton
and he created the boil weevii to get
us out Of the rut, and believe me He
sure has changed them down here.
Mr.. B. Weevil Is making them come
across and sign that cotton crop in
the marketing association too.
''"Some people up in York county
have an idea tha6' they can buy live
stock and field seeds cheap down here
and haye come down and tried it; but
much to their srfbrfse they have found
everything much higher than at home.
Our people know that we've got to
have these things to beat the weevil,
and 1t takes something more than
money to make our fellows SELL Clyde
Ratchford, of Hickory Grove, was
down here: but he didn't buy thing
could get it cheaper at home"
2