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FARMERS' UNION NEWS rVMttml Tboaghts fur rracUoal (Co ad acted by *. W. Dabbe, Pres? ident * C. Farmer* Union.) Random Ibmiubi-. Jeaterduy I ti11. 1 I Ib.- meeting of the Clarendon County Farmer?' Union at Turbevllle. President C. Allen MeFadden, with his coadjutors, Buddin. Barron. and others. 1? doing a good work In that county. They are planning to put Clarendon County In the lead In the corn show next winter, nearly a hundred farmers In the demonstration wor*k. and about aa equal number of boys In the corn club. ? ? ? It Is always a pleasure to see the neat and progressive farming of the Puddm Swamp Country. In spite of the bad weather, many of the farms on both sides of the line. Sumter and Clarendon, look like gardens. To? bacco beds were In evidence, corn up to a stand, well manured with cotton seed. On two farms at Turbevllle, there were several bales of cotton. They hoped to get over for the first and only time this week. Just made more than they could gather. For this year one farmer will cut his cot? ton acreage from 35 to 8 acres, being than a tenth of his farm In ot / ? ? I v Sumter should take note of this rich hack country of Sllloh and Turbe wiJIe. and not only open the long talked of Shdoh public road extension, but the Shlloh extension should fork about two miles east of McBrlde's causeway, the south fork leading di? rect toward Turbevllle. If Sumter will build to within a mile of the county Hue at Tom DoBose's. Turbevllle will make the connection. ? ? ? Then the Betts railroad should be extended to 8hiloh end Turbevllle. and run Into Sumter from Mr. Wash MahoYiey's plsce. Except a through line glv.ng outside connections, tnere Is not another line thst could he built Into Sumter ol equal benefit to the town and count/. And It Is a question if even a through line will be worth ss much to the town and oonnty as the Sumter, Salem and fThlloh railroad. And this could oe med?? a throe,.h line to Conwsy Dr Oeorget<>\vn or both., e, E. W. D. POTATO (.ItOWF.KS RKVOI.CTION l/.i : M Ft HODS. PiTMfciViit H. It. Ta Image Tells Neu Y?wk State Agricultural Society of fjotig Ma ml Potatoes? How Trade Focrm-rty .Manipulate*! Markets How Onrwin* letter lulled?-How U> Trade Fought?How the Asso. ria?on Succeeded?Fmplu?-.se? the Ksmdameiit*I? t'pon Which C<>-o|> rratton Mum Succeed. American Agriculturist. Lrf>ng Island potatoes arc the best potatoes grown. If the price we re? ceive for them In the market is an Indication of quality, our potatoes are always quoted and sold in the New York city and Brooklyn markets at 16 cents to |1 a barrel more than any other optatoes. For this reason and the additional reason that we have to add freight of 20 cents a bar? rel when we go beyond this mark t. our outlet Is practically limited to Brooklyn. The large wholesale Minis la Brooklyn number less than 10, ao we have a very narraw morket. Our potatoes were formerly mar? keted through IgdJgJ buyers, there be? ta* one to f<?ur at each shipping point. The local buyer Is supopsed to buy and load the potatoes for 1 resits a bushel, und it makes no dif? ference to him whether the price oe It cent* or II a bushel, he gets his 1 cents a bushel Just the >arne. In addition to this many times when the local buyer gets orders to buy at an advan? ?? prl< e to bought at the old price and pocke ed the difference. Tbe lo. nl i.uvers usually worked In harmony, notifying their competitor* mi they were golnn to raise the They seldom raised the pries oaeept when they w. r. for? ed t.. i v the grower refusing It i art without an advance Each local buyer received m* or? ders and what market i OhdltiOflS be could trutro r ? % wir. and 001 i My he had no means of knowing and did gO| know the condition of |gfSJ rmilkef gSjf better than the firmer. Th< farm era, as well as ethos people, arc gtofi eager to ???11 on i falling market, fearing they may have to take a lower price later on. and IhN know i edge of human nature was taken id vantage of repeatedlv by the local buyers and My wholesalers, so the market price of potatoes fluctuated constnatly. the larger part of the po? tatoes being ?o|d by the farmers when the price wa* falling and the market slack. \fter the wholesalers had loaded up at the l<?\v price they would ad? vance the price 5 cents a bushel, as i oiroulete rumors th.it ihs market was firm and prhrs would DS higher, and Stop the farmers from I arting, actually making the price higher in the city market. Then they would BBdload their kargt holdings at a big profit. l^ater they would repeut the psifuisaantis. loms of Ihs farmer got on to this |MM and profited by it. There was no one looking out for the farmers* interest who was in toucn with all the shipping points and knew what was going on and could advise the growers as to the true con? dition of the markets. It was to remedy this condition and others equally had that some of our farmers determined in the spring of 1908 to try and form an organiza? tion for selling our produce and buy? ing our supplies. We hid had a plan demonstration of the advantage of co-operation by the wonderful suc? cess of the cauliflower association. We called a general meeting at which a committee was appointed to hold meetings at every shipping point in our territory and explain what we hoped to accomplish and the pro? posed method of operation. In our plan of operations we set forth sever? al specific objects as follows: First, establish conditions whereby anyone desiring may buy Long Island produce true to name. The need of this is apparent when I tell you that the Long Inland potato, like every oth? er extra K?i?d article, haa to compete with a lot of counterfeit stuff sold as the genuine. No doubt there are more Maine. Michigan and New York State potatoes sold each year in Greater New York as Long Island potatoes than raised on Long Island. Of course, ao many Inferior potatoes being sold for the genuine naturally hurts our market. * Second, develop our present markets and And new ones for all our products. By judicious advertising we were suro we could increase the demand for our products. Third, to ascertain the condition of growing crops throughout the season and furnish thie information to our members. Pourth, to secure pure seed at as low a price as consistent with the best quality. Fifth, to buy and sell or menUtaC" ture all kinds of supplies. ? Sixth, to buy and sell and consign gH kinds of farm produce and to es? tablish uniform grades. Better grad? ing would almost always net \ho grow? er mc:e money. Seventh, to own or lease and oper? ate s'nrage warehouses and packing houses for produce. Kighth. arrange for the transporta? tion and handling of all produce in tin- best possible manner. Ninth, eliminate from the list of our customers those whnleeale deal? ers who unjustly dock the shippers on weight or who make n practice of turning down cars of produce on a falling market. ?Mir Logg Island potatoes being special high-grade product of limited production, by placing the entire crop In the hands of one selling agent, that agent would know just the require? ment* of the market and OOUld regu? late the supplies to a certain extent, and prevent the flimflam methods by which the grow* r was induced or fooled Into selling the greater part of his STOP at the low spots in the mar? keting season. The silling agent could keep the price right up to the top the market would stand and prevent It from go? ing too high, for there is such a thing as getting the price ao high as to Iis an injury to the grower. This state of affairs was furnished a year ago last summer. The price of potatoes - arted |n at 40 c ents a bushel and r.ipidly went to 75 cents, when it should have stopped at 65 cen s. When the price went to 75 certs many of our customers turned to oth? er ?osjfSjsg for their supplies. After I o y had Ones left we could not in? duce them to come Lack because they v ere able t.? make a larger margin of profit on potatoes from other sections. As a result our market was very tdow all the rest nf the season at HO c ents ? bushel. Again, during the summer of H>02. v ith favorable local conditions ws raised ene o! the largest crops of po? tatoes we have svet harvested, while the rent ,,f the east had a Berlou* shortage during the late summe r and ? arlv fall. With >* ?'ig l t op to har \est agd no reliable Information ,.f conditions elsewhere We were anxious t ? sell and the price soon dropped to II cents i bushel for as good potatoes SS ever grew. When we farmers would not ciirt is fast as Ihs local buyers wanted them the) would tell us that they ? ad to go to to cents ? bushel, but we i euld carl two or three loadi more at II cents, They kept the price at II eenti 1111 the crop was nearly har? vested, when during the first wee k In September the price went to 55 cents a bushel, nnd It was but a short time before It was 75 cents. After the j price had gone Up one buyer bad the ?erve to tell ue, "Farmen are blem < ,i foola We could have paid 55 oenti a bushel all tin- time just as veil as not." Many dealers made for? tunes out of ths Long island farm I H that fall. Al I haVS stated. their are few wholesale dealers in greater New York who mak a practice of handling Long island potatoes, These whole? salers have been buying <?f the local buyers at the stations in some in? stant ? lor many years and the re? lation^ SXtsltlng between them minht be called intimate. When our ex ? hatlge started there was alarm not only with the local buyers but also with the wholesale dealers In the city. The one feared to lose his job and the other his prollts, so they combined their forces and fought the exchange in every way they could devise. They circulated false stories and In many instances convinced the farm? er that the exchange was to blame that he did not get a higher price. When the market was dull the old lo? cal buyer would get the order In pref? erence to the exchange and when the market was brisk the buyer would pay a premium of 1 cent a bushel. In a few instances the farmer could be bought with a cheap cigar and a glass of beer. The wholesaler would ac? cept Inferior stock from the local buyer when the same grade of goods would be turned down If shipped by the exchange. This compelled the farmer who was loyal to the exchange to sort his potatoes better than did those who sold to the local buyer. ? These and other schemes were worked to break up the exchange, but I am glad to say that many of our loyal members saw the selfish motive that promoted these action! and stood by the exchange. The local buyers are unanimous, in saying that since our exchange started they have made no money and much the same story comes from the wholesaler in the city Our exchange is more firmly es? tablished and the wholesalers are learning that we stand for better grading and a square deal for all and that the chance for a legitimate rpo flt is better than before the advent of the exchange. Whilee our exchang does not handle nearly all of the crop yel Its Influence is such that since we star ed the markets have been very steady and uniform, any fluctuations which occur being caused by the gen? eral market condition, It is impossible to estimate tht thousands of dollars this result of the presence Of the ex? change has put into the farmer-" pockets. i Another feature which it is hard to measure in dollars and cents Is the educational value. Since our exchange started the farmers have learned that it || the pounds of available ammonia, phosphoric acid and potash that men sure the valu? of a fertilizer and not some high sounding name. They have learned business methods in buying and selling; that it is many tim Ml better to hire money and pay cash rather than to pay the lon? price for B poor article on time. Before our exchange started the pries of paris green varied from 25 to :*.."? cents a pound; since then we I have never paid over 17 cents a pound. Besides paris green WS have bought and BUpplted our members at a big Saving over what they used to pay for all kinds of grain and feed, kerosene gasoline, lime. coal. Hour and many other supplies. We buy a large por? tion of our seed potatoes each year. It has been a serious problem to get good seed true to name. Our ex? change has bought large quantities of ?eed trying to get the best even if the price was higher. Working through our organisation we have secured many concessions and accommodations from the rail? road that as individuals we would not have secured. Our soil, climate and crops being different from the rest of the State wo needed and have secured special work both from our State experiment station and from the department of agriculture at Washington. While in these and some other min? or points the exchange has been of material benefit to its members, it is, next to marketing our potatoes, In the purchase of fertilizer that it has been of ths greatest financial benefit to members. I Mir farmers as a rule buy at least 1,000 pounds of a high-grade fertiliz? er an acre each year. That is. a farmer who has a S0-acre farm will buy at least 16 tons of fertiliser an? nually, We estimate thai about 20,000 tons of fertilisers are used each year In our territory and on this amount there has been a saving of at least $;l a ton, or $00,000 a year, and for the three years a total of $180,000, Vel not? withstanding nil of the above i am sure that among our 800 members you could find quits i large number who would say offhand that the ex? change li of no beucht to the Long Island farmer! Let me enumerate some of the condition^ that I consider essential to the BUCCOSS of such a co-operative movement. First, fortify yourself with an un limited supply of patience, as you will | have to contend With all kinds of op? position from those you would benefit. Improvements come slowly and it will take time to educate tin- fanner.- to the benefit! that will come with co? operation. The farmer is the most in- j dependent of men. Through all bis lite he bas done Iiis own will, taking orders from no one. and it Is the battiest thing for him to join and ?upp< rt an organisation where some? one can tell him what h ? lUUSt do. Second. Incorporate your organlas tlon and have the price of member? ship at least $50. Anyone who is not interested to the extent of $50 had better stay out. and it is absolutely essential that you have sufficient capi? tal to carry on the business properly. Third, pledge the members that they will patronize their own organ- i Isatlon always when possible. It is better that you have the products of 50 members that you know you can depend on than the products of 500 whom you cannot depend on. Fourth, when the formation of a co-operative company will displace lo? cal dealers or buyers, employ these men as agents as far as possible. Fifth, too much importance cannot be attached to the problem of engag? ing the manager. The manager must be a man who will inspire confidence in the stockholders, thereby securing r.upport and causing them to be loyal to each other. In addition to this he must be a salesman of unusual abll Itly, for he must go into the open market and overcome the prejudice existing against all farmers' move? ments to market their produce. Progress In Farm Finance. American Agriculturist. Another forward step has been ac? complished. The finance committee has reported out favorably to the United states senate the Gronna reso? lution (S J 75) for a national commis? sion on farm finance. It is to consist of three members, is to be appointed by the president and its existence is to be limited to one year. The commis? sion Is to investigate and report upon the system of co-operative land mort? gage banking, and co-operative rural credits, which have achieved such stu? pendous success in Europe, This whole subject of farm finance and of rural co-operation has been tinder consideration throughout this week at the Nashville conference, called f'?r this special purpose. That conference is presided over by i>avid Lubln, delegate of the United States to the international institute of agri? culture at Home. It is being attended by many representative farmers and others. The conference will probably adopt .a strong statement in favor of the proposed national commission on farm finance, and should take definite action for supporting a propaganda for the education of American farm en in co-operative finance. The ac tion of the conference will be followed by the Southern commercial congress at Nashville next week. April X to 10. Meanwhile, it is imperative that every person who favors better methods of farm finance should in? stantly write to one or both of the senators from his State (address them simply The Senate. Washington, D. C.) to the following effect: Please promptly pass Senate joint resolution 7"> for a national commis? sion on farm finance. Of course you know that co-operative rural credit, as developed in Europe, has been pro? nounced by the British government "a modern discovery which may bo likened, as a factor in production, to the discovery of steam." We Amer? ican farmers want to know all about it and desire the proposed commission for this purpose. Sign your name and address. We have already emphasized pre? viously the tremendous success of the agricultural co-operative banking in Germany. In that one country, the total business done annually by these Institutions under the Raiffeisen sys? tem, exceeds $1.500,000.000. The total business done In 1910 In Germany by the Schulze-Pelitzsch people's banks was about $3.250.000.000. Thus, these two classes of farmers' co-operative banks in Germany alone are dolmr a business of upward of live Hil llon c?f dollam annually. Ueldes this, the co-operative land-mortgage banks in Germany do a business ag? gregating some billions of dollars, and enable farmers to borrow money on mortgage at 1-12 and 4 1-2 per cent. These figure! are for Germany alone. The same principles are em? ployed in various ways in other con? tinental Countries Some of these Institution! date hack 160 years. The rural credit banks date back about .'.<? years. So great has been their efficiency thai their number, member? ship and volume of buslnesi have In? creased more during the past i" years than in the previous to years. They do a bigger business and are equally as well managed as the so called great commercial banks of Europe. Am SOon as the Gronna resolut m passes tlu.' senate, letters should be written in its behalf to Hon. < >. W. iJnderwood, chairman ways and means committee, Waehington, D. C urging the house of representatives to promptly pass the resolution pio viding for a national commission on farm I'm.nur. It can he secured n ::<> days, if everyone interested will pull together. The sue >e*sful appli? cation of this system to American agriculture will be worth no.re to the United Btal s than any or all reforms of tariff, taxation or other political issues, upon Waich people are in w "all het up." The Potash Supply. The quest of domestic supply of potash is becoming interesting. With the experts on the trail of this im? portant plant food, President Taft asks i ongreSS to make a law to pro? tect from private exploitation areas of potash such as recently were dis? covered in Southern California. Fertilizer Cost. Farmers r.re getting restive under the growing dimensions of the leading fertilizer companies. The American agricultural chemical company has just voted to increase its capitaliza? tion from 3 2 to 50 millions preferred, and from 20 to 50 millions of com? mon stock. When this corporation was originally formed, the preferred was supposed to represent tangible property, while the common was largely good Will. To maintain prices on a basis that will afford dividends upon $50,000.000 of common will im? pose a tax on the consumers of ferti? lizers under which they will become i increasingly restive. The farmer, like other business men, is willing to pay for what he buys a price that will af? ford a reasonable margin of profit to the manufacturer, just as the farmer wants to make a fair profit on what he produces. But he resents being im? posed upon by artificially high prices. The feeling upon this subject is very keen. AFFAIRS IX MAYKSVILLi:. Mrs. Herbert Benll Entertains Book (Tub? Wednesday Made Clean-ap Day. Mayesville. April 11.?The Tuesday Afternoon Hook Club met with Mrs. Herbert Wharton Beall this week at her beautiful and attractive country residence. The evening was unusual? ly pleasant and the members were de? lighted with the meeting. Quite a number of guests were present from Bumter which added to the after? noon's enjoyment. The contests weree Of a general nature which required much deep guessing. Mrs. F. J. Base was the lucky winner of the prize, a very pretty crocheted igv*^- Dellclous refreshments, consisting of s salad course with tea was served. e Tile annual reception of the Book Club will be held on next Wednesday evening, the 17th, at the residence of Mrs. W. B. Chandler. This e\ nt is being looked forward to with much pleasure by the members of the club and their invited guests. A number of the members have been favored with an invitation to a club reception in Bumter on the same date. Wednesday was "clean-up day" in Mayesville at the request of the Civic League and a general tidying up was indugled in by all citizens. Mr. J. W. Cooper attended the un? veiling of the monument to the Wo? men of the Confederacy in Columbia today. DEATH AT EGYPT. Cnvson McLeodt Only Son of John R. and Mrs. Eunice Cnreon MctVcod, Died Sunday. Egvpt, April 9.?Carson, the only child of Mr. John R. and Mrs. Eunice Cat son McLeod, died at the home of his father Sunday motning. the 7th. death being due to an internal abcess. Carson was a sweet. innocent little j boy thirteen years of age. The funer? al services were conducted by Rev. S. S. Singleton Sunday evening at 5 o'clock |n the presence of a large con? gregation, after which the body was laid to rest by his mother, who died in 1901. The sympathy of the entire community goes out to the bereaved family. May they look to higher help and feel that their loss is his gain. DFATH. Mrs. Hallle Cooper Cheyne, wife of l>r. Walter Cheyne, died In Rich? mond, Ya., Friday morning, following an operation m a hospital where she was under treatment. The hotly will be brought to Mayesville tomorrow morning and taken thence to her late home near St. Charles and the funeral will be held at Mt. Zion Church Sun? day at It. SO O'clock a. m. Mrs. Cheyne was the youngest daughter of the late George w. Coop? er, of this county, and was in her forty-fifth >ear. She s Survived by her husband, Dr. Walter Cheyne, two daughters and two sons, two brothers, Mr. R. M. Cooper and it. H. W. Coop? er, and one sister.. Mrs. Qeo. W. PetliS of Charlottesville. Ya. DISPERSES MUTES BY PKNOI?U Policeman'* Order on Tablet QnsntS Silent Combatant*. Acting Chief Catlln may have to add or,,, more qualification to the li?t of requisite! for an all-round poh. man SS S result of an encounter be> i tween four deaf-mutes at Waba.sh and Seventh streets. Scenting1 trouble. Patrolmen Ketter gren rushed to the scene of action, but already a large crowd had sur? rounded the fighters, says a St. Paul dispatch. There they were, hitting with one fist and talking, evidently swearing, with the other. He separated the quartet with difficulty and then ask? ed them what the matter was. They all talked at once. And Pa? trolman Wettergren cound't tell whether they were talking to each other or talikng to him. He was at sea in a mass of fingers. Just as Wettergren was about to blow his whistle for help one of the deaf-mutes, who had recovered his equanimity to a certain extent .took a pad out of his pocket and on it wrote a translation. It seems that two of the men charg? ed that the other two men had been selling by subscription something that both parties claimed they only had a right to sell. Patrolman Wettergren, picking up the pad and drawing a pencil from his pocket, suggested that the beste! thing they could do was to disperse and forget their troubles. Partner talked to partner for sev? eral seconds; then they decided to follow the suggestion of the patrol? man and departed in opposite direc? tions. 1 J Statehurg Personals. stateburg, April 10.?Mr.'~Robert E. Barnwell of Greenville spent East? er at home. Miss Mary Gail lard of Ferguson.^ who has been visiting Mrs. James Simons, is now in Somter for a few days. Misses Anne M. and Bessie Barn well of Wilmington, N. C, were at home on Sunday and Monday. Mr. Singleton Moore of Cane SaOj^ vannah spent Sunday In our midst. Mr. W. H. Barnwell spent Sunday at "The Rectory." Miss Estelle Moore of Dalzell 6pent Monday with Mrs. James Simons. Mr. DeHon of Bummsrvtile spent Tuesday at "The Ruins." Etev, W. H. Barnwell held service" at the Church of the Holy Cross on Sunday morning and in the afternoon went to Ksgoodi where he again pr ?ached. Miss Bessie Murray who is teachin) near Camdon, spent the week-end at' home. Dr. Alston of HagOOd spent Sun da.\ here. Mr. Dees Richardson of Boykin. spent a few days here last week with his brother, Mr. R. C. Richardson. - j W 111 \ TDK MAILS I I \ \ I Latest Schedule for Closing of Mails Prepared for Service at the Sum ter Post Office. The following schedule which he recently been prepared for eervlce the postoffice will be of interest to the patrons of that office. The schedule shows when all mails are closed for the various mail trains which take mail out from this city. This schedule was in effect Friday, February 16, 1912. f Train No. 36, Florence and Augus? ta, due to leave 5.47 A. M; mail dos? es 8.45 P. M. Train No. 54, Wilmington and Co? lumbia, due to leave 7.40 A. M.; mall closes 7.00 A. M. Train No. 46, Florence and Or-| angeburg, due to leave 9.40 A. if.;^ mail closes 9.10 A. M Train No. 62, Greenville and Charleston, due to leave 9.41 fc. hi.. mall closes 9.10 A. M. Train No. 68, Gibson and Stouter, cue to lea\e 9.46 A. M., mail rlo ^tg 9.10 A. M. ^ Train No. 72, Camden and Wilson, due to leave 11:05 A. M.; mail closes 10.30 A. M. Train tfo. 61, Wilmington and Co? lumbia, due to leave 11.15 A. M., mall closes 10:46 A. M. % Train No. 73, Ca.nden and Wilson, due to leave 4:45 P. M.; mall closes 4:00 P. M. Train No. 50, Wilmington snd Co? lumbia, due to leare 6.66 P M . mat' closes 6.15 P. M. * Train No. 36, Florence and Augus? ta, due to leave ?.35 P. M.; mail clos? es* 6.00 P. M. Train No. 63, Greenville and Char? leston, due to leave 6.36 P. M ; mall closes COO P. M. Train No. 56, Gibson and Sumter. due to leave 6.50 P. M.; mall closes* 6.00 P. M. ^ Train No. 47, Florence and Orange bursj due to leave 8.25 P. M.; mail closes 8.00 P. M. Train No. 56, Wilmington and Co? lumbia, due to leave 9.30 P. M.; m\JW closes 8.4 5 P. M. ^ GEO. D. SHORE. Postmaster.