The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1889-09-10
ATTENTION,
The Cotton Crop and the Supply OF
i Bagging

W. Macune, President ofhe Nation
al Farmers Alliance and CO-operdttv'
Union of America.
There is great necessity just at thls
time for a thorough understanding on
the part of every cotton-grower OF the
exact plans and methods of the ALE.
ance for wrapping, handling, and sell
ing the crop now about tie be placed
on the market. Every member OF the
Alliance and Union in the cotton.
growing States is pledged by the &C
ton taken at the last session OF the
National body to cooperate IN selling
the crop, and they are expected to
carry out such obligation by holding
themselves in readiness to obey the
instructions of the National cotton
committee at a moments notice. This
shows the necessity of aperfect under
standing and the Importance OF COM
plete harmony of action.
It is no secret in commercial circles
that the markets of the world have
not for several years been so poorly
stocked with manufactured cotton
goods at this season of the year, and
It is also known that the mills are IN
possession of very little cotton from
which to manufacture. The stock Of
cotton on the markets at the various
ports is generally of the less desirable
grades and styles. New York, for
example, is said to have ten to fifteen
thousand bales of cotton of such an in
ferior quality that no person desires
it and it is kept there as a menace to
the future dealer who would attempt
to exact delivery on a purchase Of
futures. The visible supply of last
years crop is reported about 800, 900
bales short of two years ago, but when
the character of the supply and the
certainty of a greater demand by the
mills is taken into consideration, the
deficiency it is fair to conclude, is at
least double that amount, or 600, 600
bales. The crop is not rs large as has
been reported. Besides the worms in
some sections, they havehad too much
rain in many places east of the Missis-
sippi. In Texas the crop, reported at
1000, O00, will scarcely reach $780,
900 bales, on account of excessive
rains damaging cotton in the bottoms
in places, followed by drought in Sec
tons. Altogether the outlook for
total crop is no better than at this
time in 1887.
The farmers of this country will
soon have in their possession about
six millions of bales of cotton, which
if they received pay for the labor ex-
pended in proportion to that received
by teachers, doctors, lawyers, mer-
chants, insurance men and brokers,
will have cost them about so cents per
pound; but if they only receive pay
for their labor at the same rates paid
such skilled labor as carpenters and
other tradesmen their cotton would
probably cost them 20 cents per pound
or $I00 per bale, making the six mil
lion bales worth 5000, 900, 900. OF
course no such price can be realized.
1t is simply cited as no more than just,
if it could be obtained. But the world
demands this six million bales of cot
ton for immediate consumption, and
must have it. That is to say, the mills
must, at the lowest estimate, have five
hundred thousand bales of cotton per
month for the next twelve months.
There are two ways in which the cot.
t~on-growers may turn it over to the
consumer.
First, make all the haste possible to
dump the whole pile into the hands OF
the spectators before it goes up las it
always does later in the SEASON., and
thereby enable such spectators to
dribble it out to the mills at the rate
of FIVE hundred thousand bales pei
month, at an advance of from ST tc
$I5 per bale, or say a probable aver.
age of So per bale, or SIS, 600, 900 on
the lot.
Second, having developed a short
interest, keep it short throughout the
year by only selling each month what
the mills will actually need, and by
that course secure to the farmer that
R4O,OOO1 WV ONOh IL III h1SuOL DiIC0S
ensued than the Spectators would
have made. Surely the latter plan
must commend itself to the planter.
It was estimated by a high authority
several years ago Tin 1882 that the
demand of the world actually required
1000, 900 bales of cotton every year.
Now, if the increased demand be only
10 per cent, the demand would be
100, 900 bales, while this crop is
only 6 $780, 600, leaving a deficiency
of 500, 900 bales.
In view of all this it is evidently
greatly to the interest of the cotton
grower to be in no hurry to sell his
cotton. This is a-year in which all
can well afford to wait for and govern
themselves by the instructions from
the cotton committee, which has the
matter in charge. Why this undue