Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1891-05-14

our present enormous cotton crop,
the producers are at the mercy OF
consumers. For example, in 1852 the
corn crop was large one, in 30 1t was
short; the consequence is corn which
went begging one year ago Mt 90 cents
n bushel, is now eagerly sought for by
the overproduction cotton man at so
cents bushel. Here we have the spec
tacle of farmers producing cotton crop
100000 bales in excess of the worlds
needs, the price of which barely pays
for the cost of production, and buying
corn at 65 cents bushel more than 1t
would cost them TO make it,
Cotton has built the towns and cities
of the south, extended her railroads and
filled her ports with the sails of every
nation, which bear TO distant climes
the sweat and Drawn of the southern
farmers. 1t is stated that the cotton
crop of the past four years has sold
for 81, 400, 0OO,O0O which is $500, 900, 900
more than the entire gold product
of California since its discovery,
forty-two years ago, and where has it
gone? Not to the building up or inn
proving our lands, as the last column in
table No. 2 shows, and rs is further at
tested by our SCARED and quilted hills
from which all vegetable matter has
been absorbed, and which are exposed
to the heavy and washing rains of win
ter, as we'll as the burning sun of sum-
mer, denuded by clean culture of tho
kindly mantle which nature would
throw over these wounds. Nor has this
larger sum been applied to making our
farmers independent, as is shown by
the tables of Indebtedness, but it has
helped to build up towns and railroads,
trusts and monopolies.
Another most powerful reason for re-
ducing the crop is the difficulty of secur-
ing the labor Just when it is necessary to
save the crop in good condition. The
larger portionof the cotton now on hand
is of such poor quality as to command
only very poor price. This is owing
to three cause.-the delay in gathering
so large crop, some of it remaining in
the fields for weeks, exposed to the fall
rains; careless handling; injury by eX-
posure to the weather after being
ginned and baled. | have known of
several lots of cotton which have lost
one-sixth of their value by being al
lowed to lie in the owners yards ex-
posed to every vicissitude of weather.
Once more, and am done. | notice
in one of our weekly papers the follow
ing:
"Some time since the Lee county al
lance sent out circular calling upon
all alliances in the state to take this
matter under consideration, and advo-
Gated a smaller acreage of the staple as
a means of solving the problem. 1t is
contended that with less production the
demand would be increased and the
price W ould naturally be higher
That is true. But let's see how the
farmer would be benefited by adopting
this plan: Take, for instance, this sea
sons crop, estimated at 1000, 900 bales
Say that cents per pound was the
average price paid. That would give
the farmers of the south about Sl96,
900. 000 On the other hand, had the
crop only been 1000, 900 bales, and haC
it commanded on an average II cents
per pound the entire crop would have
brought the south only about SlS0,000,
OOO-a difference of S16,OOO,OO0."
The mistake here is that the cost o
production is not considered. Thu
fact is that the farmer makes tn
10000 bale crop at loss
for it costs him at least ~ cent!
per pound to make it, while on tn,
100000 bale crop, at II cents, he
makes profit of 81 cents on tn
pound, or in round numbers estimating
the bales at 500 lbs, he makes $40 900,
600 clear money! What stronger argu
ment do we need In favor of the smalle
crop?
The farmers co operating their ayr
cultural clubs and sub-alliances, coul
soon decide upon line of policy, whic
we have every reason to believe, woul
lift them out of their present Difficult
ties. Therefore | hope they will ''stan
shoulder to shoulder in this grand ayr
cultural campaign R. 7. Nesbitt, i
Southern Farm.