Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-10-22
j. p. STEELE, EDITOR.
ruEY ARE .sKEEREp orrExAs."

An editorial paragraph appearing in the
Atlanta (Ga.) Southern Cultivator for DC.
tober says: Texas is large enough to raise
100000 bales of cotton, and the tendency
is thai way. Suppose she does; what be-
comes OF the cotton planter in other sec
tions?H In the same issue of the Southern
Cu'tivator Hon. W. j. Northen, governor
of Georgia, has a paper over his own sig
nature which leads off as follows:
A few days sitce had a Texas farmer
dine with NE. He told me he had Just pur-
chased a seconn farm for which he had paid
10000 This statement put me to thinking
Of the prof. 10 come to GeOgia farmer as
compared TO the profits received by Texas
farmer.
Not many farmers in Georgia who own
their farms nave realized enough profit rom
their crops 70 buy and pay for $50, 600
farm.
What makes the difference? My Texas
friend uses no 'uano, and makes an average
of one bale of cotton to the acre. Georgia
uses $1,000, 600 worth of guano, and makes
half d bale OF cotton to the acre. With this
immense difference in cost and the sale eX-
actly the same, can Georgia farmers COM
pete with Texas farmers making cotton2 l
have put the Georgia average very high.
but even at the figures given the disad-
vantage IS so great rs to make 1t an i'm
portant question for Georgia farmers TO
consider. In Florida oranges are grown in
the open air. In Tennessee, If grown at
all, they must be grown in a dollhouse, This
Is about analogous TO growing cotton in
Texas without fertilizers as against grow
ing cotton in Georgia at heavy expense for
fertilizers. The question again comes, if
Tennessee cannot successfully compete
with Florida in growing oranges, can GeOr-
CIV T1na ft,llt-
compete with Texas in growing cotton? If
this question is to be answered in the mega
tive we must begin at once to determine
what crops are to take the place of cotton.
Governor Northen does not give US the
name of our citizen who dined with him,
out he was evidently farmer who knows
how TO raise cotton. We have many like
him, while, at the same time we have not
few good deal on The side of otherwise.
But bale of cotton to the Texas acre,
without fertilizers, need be regarded as
nothing at all remarkable for the man who
well understands how to cultivate cotton,
and who puts that understanding to full ap-
piication. AL such men are entirely out
side the track of the hard times cyclone
that we are hearing so much about They
can buy anything they may desire to buy.
Governor Northen continues:
/ do not believe that the time has come
when Georgia farmers are to abandon the
cultivation of cotton entirely. ] do be-
NeTe, however, that Georgia farmers are
giving TO the cultivation of cotton a great
deal of land from which they cannot posi-
bly, receive such compensation as viii JUS
tify the investment.
Under the most favorable circumstances
the price of cotton is too painfully near the
cost of production to grow it upon our thin
land in competition with the fertile soil of
Texas.
TO all these suggestions some farmer
may reply we are compelled to make cotton
rs money crop. Is il not little singular
that we call cotton a money crop, when it
never brings US any money and when the
conditions are such as prevent the possible
ily OF profit:
Now what are we to do? What is open
10 the farmers of this state if we abandon
cotton TO any large extent2 The Stereo-
typed answer comes, as it has been given
numberleSs times before, small industries,
stock, grass and grain.
Governor Northen then proceeds to hold
out the idea that cotton culture should be
mainly abandoned in Georgia save on the
comparatively few farms that are qualified
10 compete with Texas in a production of
the staple. 'The sooner it is abandoned the
better" he says. The farmers should turn
their attention to something else, is his
earnest suggestion.
This is all well enough so far as it goes.
Heretofore we have heard of the COTTON
stateS," but just now the signs of the times
would seem to be indicating that ere great
while in the future that plural viii be
dropped, and it viii be written the cotton
state" The state raising the greater por-
ton of the cotton will be clearly entitled to
the definite s'the"
Please understand that we are not gloat-
ing over this natural but evident misfortune
of our neiShbors. Texans are not that kind
CT peoyle- They will be just as sorry for
the "late cotton stateS'' east of the Missis-
sippi river as they could be, and they would
do more for them than feel sorry, was there
anything else left within their gift OF
course they will not be able to blame them
selves in the least for this peculiar turn in
affairs, owing TO the fact that they had no
hand whatever in the making of Texas.
The editor of the Southern Cdltiyator
it.tS II SNliGStlN III MS statement lual
Texas is large enough TO raise 100000
bales of cotton annually, and that the ten
dency is il that direction. And ne might
nave added that even when those 5000, 600
bales are annually appearing upon the mar
Eet, in return for correct cotton culture,
not SO much IS one 1.-THE of our good lands
viii be devoted 10 the crop. What then?
Nc don't wish to throw ont so much as one
oiscouraginS mint TO our sister states, but
1t may not be amiss foru TO suggest for the
Yonderation Of the whole people, that If
Texas lands are So much better for cotton
than areIthe lands of Georgia and other COM
mouwealthS east Of the Mississippi river as
20 cut off the possibility Of successful COM
petition. is it rot reasonable TO suppose
that they are equally rs much better fo-
al the genera, crops that could be raised
over there2
This is offered more in the spirit of state
pride than in desire TO draw population
from any of our less favored neighbors.
We can see in Texas very desirable state
to live in, for the farmer DESTROYS of max
ing money, and we cannot get the consent
OF our feelings TO make secret OF wha. we
sc plainly see.
ON PECAN PLANTING, ETC,