The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-07-12
TAXING THE Long VIEW
lThe News and Courier )

certainly took up farming at
the wrong time, said a young man.
from ene Of the middle counties of
South Carolina recently. He had
made his first crop in 1920, follow
ing his discharge from the army,
after a fine record in France. The
first crop Mas big crop. but costs
that year were excessive, and the
price Of cotton slumpee steadily,
Last year the price was better, but
the boil weeyil cut the crop in
half New ne does not know what
is ahead. he is still trying to make
cotton, but with the feeling that
IS not much use to try and for.
the other crops with which he has
experimented there has been no
market. What am to do?" he is
askiug himself Shall I stick to
the farm or try to get a job? Can
ss1g r
i indeed, stick to the farm2s
It was Just such farmers as this
young Legionnaire whom Dr.. W,
Long, Of Clemson, doubtless
had especially in mind when. in
his address before the South Caro-.
: 5;,,.< iorare: assoc;ati tI,e other s3ay
at Myrtle Beach, he declared his
firm conviction that s<the potential
agricultural power Of South Caro-
Ina is greater today than at any
time n its history Dr. Long did
not make this statement careless
" He had just been discussing
some OF the serious phases OF the.
present situation He was fully :ap-
preciative Of all the difficulties
which this situation presents, and
had just stressed especially the de-
plorable fact "that 81 per cent. of
our cultivated lands are IN the
hands OF an ignorant and shiftless
class, z pointing out how this most
perplexing of our agricultural
problems has been magnifed and
made more acute by the presence
Of the boil weevil. But DR.. Long
believes that the farmer in South
Carolina has at his command to-
day resources which must enable
him 70 overcome the existing diff
hcuItEes and TO reestabIish agricul-
tufe IN thise state upon a foanda-
ton such as, it has never had be-
fore Here is how he summed up
his reasons for saying that the.
states potential agricultural power
is greater than it has ever been
until nov:
First. There has never been
time in the history of the
world when there was such a
store of practical and useful
information for the guidance
Of the farmer as today.
Second There was never
time in recent history when
thsTe wassa greater sympathy
ard "a more general under
standing Of the farmers prob
IeHis the general public
than ;today
shird There was never as
much faNprabie. legislation en-
acted <of financial and eco
narnsc scseharacter in the interest
OF agriculture as there is to-
day.
Fourths There is no soil
that. VIE respond to intelli-
gent treatment more readily
than the soil of South Caro-
lima.
Fsfth There is no country
that can produce as many soil
building crops as South Car
Dina and the adjacent states.
Sixth There is no coun-
ttS that can produce a great
) eraspnaTnber of nitrogenous
crops for forage than Souts,
Carolina.
Seventh There is no coun-
try. that can produce a great
err number of money crops
than South Carolina: namely
cotton, tobacco. peanuts, soy
beans. sweet potatoes. and
practically all the truck crops
in the lower counties.
Eighth. There is no country
that can produce pork ard
dairy products more economi-
calIy than South Carolina ow-
ing to our ability TO produce
such a variety of forage crops.
Ninth There is no country
that can produce more profit
ably peaches, grapes and small
berries than South Carolina.
Tenth. And last but by no
means beast. the farmers have
at last determined to put the
business end of farming.
which is largely the marketing
of farm products. on busi-
ness basis. by organizing farm
ers' cooperative commodity