Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1892-05-14
THE COTTON ACREAGE
Little Decrease ON the Large
Plantations Predicted.
The Plant, However, is Backward and
sickly and the Stand is Defective
in Many Places.
Special to the Leaf-Chronicie:

Special to the Leaf Chronicle:
MEMPHIS, May 14.-The reports
from different parts of the cotton belt
indicating reduction of Is, 20 or 25
per cent. in the cotton acreage, as
compared with last season, should
be taken with considerable allowance
for the wish which fathers the
thought. The necessity for such a re-
duction as a means of restoring
prices to a paying basis goes without
question, but those who assume that
it will be generally adopted this year
overlook very serious obstacle in
the way, one that will in all proba-
biIity prevent any appreciable
change for the better. The future
tense is employed here for the reason
that large proportion of the cotton
land is not yet seeded, owing to the
late and unusually cold spring. In
most localities in the Mississippi
valley the planting is fully two
weeks late.
In the hills there will be a small
decrease in the acreage; in the bot.
toms there will be none worth con-
sidering. The upland farmers are
compelled to cut down their proper
tion Of cotton land, by the necessity
for reducing expenses and making
something to eat at home. They
can no longer get the credit that
heretofore has enabled them to pay
ruinous tribute to King Cotton. The
country merchants, who have ad-
vanced supplies to make the crop
and money to pay pickers to gather
it, are themselves restricted, if not
altogether abandoned, by the COM
mission houses of the cities, upon
which they have relied for backing.
They can furnish the farmers only to
a limited extent. Hence, with many
of the hill farmers it is a question of
make less cotton or quit eating.
The cotton producer of the bottoms,
though hard up, like his brother of
the uplands, is not in position to re-
trench in like manner. AS rule, he
plants on large scale, and his in
debtedness is in proportion. His cred
itors are the big merchants, who have
ample capital or credit. He owes
them SO much that they can not
afford to drop him. Neither does it
profit them to sell him out, for there
is none to buy save. themselves, and
they have already more plantation
property than they want. So they
must keep him going, in the hope
that he may make large cotton crop
and get a fair price for it, and In the
course of time will pay out. They
don't want corn or pigs on account,
but cotton, and the planter must
make it for them. 1t is not ques-
ton of what his judgment may
dictate, but of what his necessities
require of him. Interviews with
planters from the bottoms of Arkan.
sas, Mississippi and Louisiana indi-
cate that there will be no decrease of
cotton acreage in their sections of the
country, except such as may be
caused by overflow and bad
stands" The plant is backward
and sickly, and the stand defective
in many places. So far the damage
by water is due to the heavy rains
rather than the flood in 1.-The Missis-
sippi, though there is considerable
scope of unleveed country in Eastern
Arkansas which has been under
water for two weeks. These lands
will produce but little cotton this
Nason, unless the water recedes be-
fore the first of June. 1t would
seem from the present outlook that
the cotton product of the Memphis
district will be less than that of last
year, but not from voluntary re.
duction of the acreage.