The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1892-03-22
THE COST OF COTTON.
Err. TNzTGN CHALLENGES COMMIS-
SIOEER EESDITT'S SIATEMENT.
"A Big 0uesticn that Interests the Farmers
and the Cotton Trade-Colcnel Mes
bits Eejoinder.

Ii was, III brief, that cotton may DC raised 81
a cost OF 81 cents q pound. AS authorities foF
the statement, Commissioner Nesbitt gave
Colonel Il. j. Hcdjing, director oil the Georgia
experiment station, and Colonel FeliX Corput,
Of FIovtl county, enc of the most active and
successful farmers i'll the state, as well as
business man of large experience.
The cotton trade takes ISSUE with the state
neni, and Gir, ). II. Inman asks that the de-
tail figures of The transaction be given.
The statement was FIRST made by Colonel
Ee,l.ljn... in ain interview published in The
Constitution six months ago. lie gave then the
Jesuit Of q cotton experiment, which has since
bee, described i'll the official experiment
station bulletin for February. Inc position
was that the cost of cotton growing was chiefly
labor and t.ie expense per pound decreased
rapidlv as the yield increased. This was sub
stautiaii& the position OF Colonel Corrupt, and
Commissioner Eesb.tt, who has been preach
ing intensive farming, was quick to seize upon
an argument which, ii true, must have q
powerful effect III converting farmers 10 the
ulau OF c0n!ining the cotton crop to toT acres
and making it pay better than a crop spread
over = wide area. If it actually pays better TO
cultivate ten acres than twenty with gwen re-
sources, tie farmers, WHO are already SOfe'y
perplcxud by the labor problem, Will be giad
to change tie system Tor one requiring less
help AID b.iuging better returns. This was
the it,ea urperiuost Ill Commissioner Nesbitts
mind.
TIE cotton trade takes an entirely different
view of the matter. They say that the state
meutS that cotton NAV be raised Tor 50 cents u
pound is MOI borne out by the facts, and they
further assert that this statement from the Of
fetal Ehead of the department OF agriculture
viii have a disastrous elect upon TIE coVlol
market, fer the official statements OF this
kind command respect and credeHce the World
over.
Mr. S. II. Inman was SO much impressed
with the iinportance~0f this aspect OF the qne5-
ton tina. he th3uSht it advisable 10 chal-
lenge ttes.atenent IL order that discussion
ln1---re started which viii bring out all the
facts Accordingly he addressed the follow
ing letter 20 Commissioner Neab.tt:
Re-. Kui;.;.n's letter.
Atlanta GA March IS.-Mr. K. T. Nesbitt, Com
nis.ione. CT Agriculture, Atlanta, ia. Dear Sir
IN ti.iS morning ; CONSTITUTION oee shlS 9'i'o-
81 reccn. experiment. at the Georgia station
show tits where land h1s been properly treated
q yicid OF baie TO the acre can be mace at a
cos 81 ) > cents per pound Colonel C2rpat, OF
Eloyd, = careful accountant, showed me Has eSti-
males a!so and he made profit OF 2i2 cents per
pound WHERE The yield waa pale ief acre.
..Anothcr experiment Of which have the de
tails was made on land which seemed 9ntirely
s~I,,;,stp.i Protecting and paying crops OF peas,
c,oyrr and grass we're planted, which brought the
Ian, to !, condition wnero high fertilization was
syers:.ed one and half bales to the acre. a: 4 cost
81 q traction over cents Per pound. 1t was mar
kErgG cents tilt5 piolAt VI
cents per pound 10 the producer
Ca.uiu1 as This does from the oHicial head OF
tie DEPARTMENT OF agriculture OF one Oh the largest
cotton producing states In the wofia, tile S1atc-
t1uIt carries a weight and responsibility that IS
,;f vast importance. THIS statement VIII prob
slGy IL, teItyrAphed TO every important cotton
,n.iIes in Europe anu America and used IN the
r1.t..n CIRCULARS and reports. 1t will be bear
argument FOR still further lowering the price, ana
vyiit be quoted Is an authority for years TO come.
ICstst3n v1u as Il friend and honor you as an
ete..is1 safe officer, but it docs not seem to me
taat in tus cai u.atlCn some OF the Items OF cost
Ia,i-t have -ccn lett out re5pec.iuliy asa mat
van .:v,, lie the figures By which it can bc done
10 t5a. tney can be verified by the experience OF
II NAV finally he convinced that even under the
un-t favorable circumstances cotton can be
raised -, cents 70 3l3 cents, hut would be glad
Wi5h sentiments of esteem, am, respectfully
ycGis, . Nj HAMA
6 ..l.sssissioner Sesbi.t's Reply.
To this Commissioner Nesbitt replied as
@ lows:
"farm HIM. Ga, March ls.-Mr. S, ~.
Inman. Atlauts.-5Iy pear Sir: Your cohnuin-
CATION o. the !eth i.e aht was handed 10 ne Jast
q was leaving Tor the train, and though ccU!d
us.. reply tlyII, hasten 10 10 50 at the earliest
,,rac.!c:lbe moment. i the interview published
In today Constitution should cause general dis
CU-sien OF this question, some good may result,
inasn,.Ich as fne knotty problems which confront
rs may UC solved and at last the true plan dis
covered. chat il has brought such men as your
al 10 he front ain TeloICcd 20 know, and though
discussion can 10 no harm aAd may ct&ao " more
general awakening.
F.r-t. though l wish 10 correct what appears 10
b. q misrepresentation Oh your pat Is 10
nv exact mraa.n-. thoUrhJ mad
be-, x,.Ic:s stating, mat 1t IS only after vets
cf preparation OF the Land hy other crops oHtt
cotton can prudale,l at the low figure oi tuiee
or four cents We're every farmer ia Gtor.-ia =
becin t3tjav. She cost OF cotton prediction could
Eot be Materially lcsscned under three or four
.ears @ dat iiy statement can nave 20 IA Gtrrlal
effect ON Tie present OF tii3 coming crop. Letters
OF ap!cal from different sections OF ;hc state, a.
ve} As personal interviews W!th farmers, lmpel2o'
III. 10 utter again the warning which tfus- tA&t,
even az tbs late day. tae f.'isrs WI! heed. an
Only anxious. ana ls2 IL Iny duty - protect lher
interests a. lar possible. Many Of them allowed
themselves directly ;Ite. tis VIZ To be douded
ly ;Ee sli-Cottou policy, ard toaay hundreds
- ANN are ,et5 wtra litro.erISEed farms.
snd dett hanging Ike 4 Ei.is1oHa aIouEd
tEciE Hrck5. tL2 manufacturers ~ tha east
have grown r5cI irons thlir mistakes, and now.
by the power OF wealth, control the legislation Of
oar country, ana would reduce US 10 i@rthcr bond
lace, j!Icy VIII see mat II Is - car highest
tr3ofesf - diversity our crops, gradually restore
on wasted IiCLiasc. and attain tn independent
r,n.lr:uu SO Oucc>S~cul!cu. II something IS not
sto,.. la build up our waste PAGES and make our
faIHs seii-sustInIAg, It IS ne 't9}.iilfs i'Ft'
,neuts from outsiders 40 strictly aSFtculidtlI
couutry RS ever grown .ich, and, therefore. we
ne q ,iivtrslded Industries d every klni; bat
rh,y will net prosper - long as aGcicG are, tEe
foundation stone, j. unsteady.
In rc.sard 10 lie figures and estimates IS to
reducing the cost of cotton PRODUCTION, send
.Cu r;th This. me Ri3rcii nuGer 81 Tie SOUTHERN
iult.yator, containing full statement OF
Eir Corpus receipts and expenditures. / also
send bulletin 40 - from the experiment slation,
cour2iyill.r careful estimates on both points III
nritElr 81 these j. the interest on the investment
cons. Tered, because the improved condit on o.
7ha f.IIa amply covers that. The figures II the
tf,iri case mentioned III the interview, have not
t,y NE ] sent them to The Southern CuItly&tor
a5l they sill appear III the Aprii number IN
,Iertind that .r. Irui.J, OF Iroup county, states
that his cotton never costs him over cents.
h We a aei@hb I VINO made the past year eight
f1les on foIr acres of land that has been gradU-
sllv brought up to high state OF product!Veness.
lie Kept no accounts, but says he made good
del uf money even with the low price of cotton.
have written very hurrIedy. Thanking you Tor
y.ur GiIi consideration and great courtesy, am,
wish high regards, yours truly, Il. I. NESBITF
shouiJ have stared iii the above that when
farmers pu;sue the policy which viii enable them
10 produce cotton mere cheaply, they place them
teadent Of bear arguments ami manipulati0ns.
also. they cut oil competition ir0n foreign
countries, and cOninc the production Of cotton to
tie legitimate cotton belt r. Z. y.
Bulletin number IL, of the state experiment
station at Griffin, contains this paragraph on
page 155:
fIwouId not lie a difficult matter to count in ali
che expenses Of making the crop on the land Gov
Examine !