ef similar kind had been started in the 
South. We are the pioneer pedigreed seed 
breeding company in the South.” 
e Not Just Better Seed, but 
Better Farming Methods 
Mr. Coker’s consuming desire to see 
the South rise above the status of an 
agricultural section of minor importance 
shows clearly in this remark he made 
early in his career: “The South will 
never come into its own until its fields 
are green in winter.” And that he thought 
far beyond his primary job of supplying 
better seed to Southern farmers can be 
seen in this statement he made: “Plant 
breeding and other scientific experimen- 
tation covering a very wide field are 
necessarily incident to our work. Through 
KIGHT—LOADS OF COTTON from 
Coker farms at Hartsville wait their 
turn at the company’s gin. In South 
Carolina and in other sections of the 
Southeast, seed cotton is brought to 
the gin tied in burlap squares, as 
shown in the picture. 
them we are constantly discovering and 
proving the superior value of our new 
plant families which produce high yields 
and better quality and which, therefore, 
add profits and comfort to the farmers’ 
operations. Our experimental work also 
enables us to discover better and more 
economical methods of soil management, 
fertilization, cultivation and the prepara- 
tion and handling of crops. What we 
learn from our scientific operations is 
the property of our customers for their 
asking.” 
RIGHT—A. H. ROGERS, at left in 
picture, another Society Hill farmer, 
has grown Coker cotton for many 
years. He went to work in the J. L. 
Coker and Company store in Harts- 
ville in 1898 and stayed for 12 years. 
David R. Coker was working in the 
store in 1898, a few years before he 
began his breeding work on a 
nearby plot of ground. Mr. Napier 
is shown with Mr. Rogers on the 
porch of the latter’s home. 
CG&OMPress Photos, 
wore 
Thousands Visit Coker Farms 
THE WORK of Coker’s Pedigreed Seed 
Company annually attracts thousands of 
visitors to Hartsville, many of whom re- 
turn year after year to witness the latest 
scientific production methods employed 
on the company’s farms. Among the vis- 
itors are scientists and government offi- 
cials from practically all foreign coun- 
tries in which cotton is grown. Many 
distinguished men have been drawn to 
Hartsville over the years to see the Coker 
breeding program in operation. Among 
these were Secretaries of Agriculture 
LEFT—T. L. ROSS, at left in pic- 
ture, is a master farmer at Society 
Hill, S. C., in Darlington County. 
He has been a contract grower for 
Coker’s Pedigreed Seed Company 
for a long time and says David R. 
Coker did more for agriculture in 
the Southeast than any other man. 
Shown with Mr. Ross is J. M. Na- 
pier, Darlington County agent at 
large, another South Carolinian who 
knew “Mr. D. R.” well. 
