The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-11-22


acts to the attention Of the confer
ence: Bright Williamson, of Dar-
iington, who could not attend be-
cause of business at Richmond,
Va; Senator Niels Christensen, Of
Beaufort, who is i'll at his home;
J.. O. Sheppard, a representative in
the house from Edgefeid county,
who announced that he intended to
introduce in the next general as
sembly a bill for the purpose of
having the state supply the farm
ers with calcium arselaate (boll
weevil poison) at cost, j. S. Wan
namaker, president Of the Amer
lean Cotton Association, who could
not be present, but who sent Har-
vie Jordan, secretary Of the asso-
cation in his stead; and DR.. Ceker,
of Hartsville, who could not be
present.
Chairman Lever said that there
was no more vital concern to the
state than the adoption OF a con-
crete plan for combating the boil
weeyil and that Governor Harvey
was due a debt OF gratitude for the
calling Of a conference.
SHOULD not enter the minds OF
any farmer" he cautioned, that
the growing Of cotton under bob
weevil conditions is an impossible
ity; it is being done in all the cot
ton-growing states. It crossed the
Mexican border into Texas and IS
now in North Carolina and the
farmers in the states which have
been overriden by the weeyil are
growing cotton successfully, and ]
hate; to think that our farmers can
not grow cotton also. OF course. it
is going to be more difficult; more
efficient cultivation and better bus
mess methods have got to be
adopted, but South Carolina farm
ers can do these things. You may
as well make up your minds now
that absentee farming is thing
of the past. You cannot live in
Columbia and raise cotton in Beau
fort
Touching on the labor problem
and the negro's place in South
Carolina agriculture. Mr.. Lever
said that he had given the boil
weevil problem a great deal Of study
and he had come to the conclusion
that it had to be solved with
white brains" that the negro
would only be successful in the
cultivation Of cotton under The ap-
piled intelligence Of the white farm
er.
The ex-congressman said that it
behooved the farmers Of South
Carolina to be of good cheer and
not give way to waves of pessirn-
ism; that it is fundamental he
should "have in his heart the
spark Of hope" if he desires to
achieve.
This convention, concluded the
speaker. should not adjourn with-
out impressing upon the farmer
that he can grow cotton, but un-
der boil weevn conditions. it must
be based upon a proper system OF
diyersification."
Prof. w. w. Long said that the
solution Of the problem forced
upon the state is bottomed econoin.-
ios and direct control of the boil
weevil.
"a diversified agriculture, said
PROF. Long, .efs good under any
conditions; but under boil weevil
conditions it is absolutely essen.
tial.'.
The Clemson expert stated thai
diversified farming is not the grow,
ing of new crops, but the planting;
Of those which have been showr!
to be adapted to the particular soil
to be cultivated. He said it was
folly for the farmer to experiment.
with new systems Of agriculture;
let the established agencies fnane..
ed for that purpose do it.
Prof. Long said that he took ev-
cry paper published in South Car
olina, and from them he had clip;
ped news articles which told of the
successful cultivation this year Of
cotton in every Carolina county;
that cotton certainly was going te
be successfully grown in this state,
but more intelligent methods OF
farming must be used in the pro-
cess. Cotton, he contended. is NO
longer "fool-proof1 crop, but it
is one where there must be a mix
ture Of brain with the methods
used. He said that as more in
telligence is used the prices for the
staple win be higher, as intelligence
brings higher prices than a low
grade mentality and its products.
Unless fair prices are paid for
cotton and an increased wage paid
for farm labor this labor is going
to migrate to the eastern states,
where it can command higher
wages. and, he argued, the south
ern farmer must make up his mind
to materially increase his labor
overhead and make the farm more
attractive.
He preached the doctrine OF
oil-building by the planting of le-
.guminous crops. contending that
South Carolina, North Carolina and
parts OF Georgia and Alabama can
raise more Of this variety Of plant
life than any part of the world.
rontondinp. that fbe Sopff Car