The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1886-12-11
Address BY Prof. John A. IlyTeS Of
Miss. 4. L VI. College Upon the
Cotton Seed Problem.
Mr.. President and Gentlemen:

Cotton Seed Problem.
Mr.. President and Gentlemen:
If i we're to attempt to state the
difference in the condition of the
agricultural classes in this coun-
try and the old word, | would put
ii thus: In Europe farmers make
money with difficulty but retain it
with scrupulous care, while in
this country they make money
easily but squander it without
thought.
When we consider the wastes
of most of our Southern farms
and plantations We find ample
grounds for serious thought. /
am willing to state that believe
there is sufficient wastes upon our
farms, or carelessness in the sale
of farm products, which, If cor
rected, would make the South one
of the most prosperous agricultu.
raj countries in the world.
In beginning the consideration
Of a problem involving directly
millions of dollars of property,
and indirectly, as l believe, the
prosperity or failure of our South.
ern farmers, ask you to go pa.
tiently through the array of fig.
ures with me, free as they are
from all scientific terms, and ar.
ranged so as to conclsely present
the facts that / wish to develop.
For our purpose we accept as
correct one of the lowest estimates
of the cotton crop for this year,
namely, 100000 bales, equal to
2,790, 900, 600 pounds. The cotton
seed weighs about double as much
or 5,5SO,0O0,OO0 pounds. The nec-
essary quantity of seed for the
next crop, together with the una.
voldable losses of seed will not
exceed one.ffth of the entire yield.
There will therefore be left 4,464,.
900, 900 pounds, or 2,232,0OO tons
of seed that the planters of the
South may sell or that may be
shipped out of the country. This
at the price of IS per ton would
bring to the farmers s17,750,000 I;
and at 50 per ton Che price offered
at many places it is worth $11,.
100000.
The majority of our farmers are
willing to part with the last seed
that they can spare at the ruling
prices. In this very fact lies the
waste of our resources that wish
to combat.
If we study the economic side
of this question we must consider
how much will this enormous
transportation of a rich agricultu.
raj product from our country re.
duce its supply of plant food, or
its producing capacity. If all of
the cotton seed that may be spared
from the South this year were ex'
ported, plant food would be re-
moved from the country to the
extent of nitrogen, S7,494. 400 lbs,
at 20 cts, S17, ,49S,S potash, 49,.
532, 800 lbs, at 6 cts, $2,731, ,96S
phosphoric acid, "a, ,46O,S00 lbs, at
10 cts, S5,446, ,0SO; making grand
total of $25,676,92S, as the value
of the plant food removed. The
figures are based upon the analy'
sis of Prof. White, State chemist,
of Ga, and are the lowest with
which l am acquainted, my own,
as we'll as the analysis of other
chemists giving much higher re-
suits.
If our farmers receive for their
cotton seed sS per ton it repre-
sents a value as stated before oil
s17, ,756,000 for the whole. If we
deduct this maximum price offered
for cotton seed this year from the
value of the plant food removed
from the country, we have a loss
to the farmers of $7,920,92s. II
the farmers receive only 50 per
ton they suffer a loss of at least
s14,516,92S.
In face of this fact, my friends,
Is it not time to call q halt AS
large as these figures appear l be-
lleve them to express the mini
mum loss. Can our Southern
farmers continue long thus to
waste the bounties of heaven and
earth 2 Are we not tending to
ruin, and already out upon the
current that is swiftly carrying us
into whirlpool of misfortune and
ruini If we are thus careless ol
the blessings bestowed upon us
do we not deserve to suffer for 1t
| offer no apology for adopting
the system of valuation that !
have, for if you go into the market
and try to replace this plant food
that is being removed, you will
have to pay this price for it. In