The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1893-03-01
TIE COTTON ACREAGE.
SOs4E ITNTERESxzNG AND HWsTRUcT-
I'VE EHGURKNG.



aerOp witiliR the bounds of consumption
las is appaRent this year. Progressive
'Apaanters, merchants and bankers are al
aEGeto the eGiti cal position in which .tht
@eston-growiRg indu stry now stands, and
their endeavorS to make die situation
elearGo all pIaRters cannot he too high!S
commanded nor too earnestly seconded.
In 1892 the acreage planted was lit.
tie. III any, more than the pnesions sea
son. bsa& the general conditions swere SO
favorable that the yield, 500s pa&nds per
acre, was unprecedented. The result
was the eaOrmOus crop, which, with the
surplus Left over from the previous sea-
son, SO far exceeded the consumpGion
that the Average price received was bat
II cents per pound, the lowest since
1S45. Fhe effect of this low price was
to materially reduce the acreage planted
for the present season, and the prospec-
tive crop has been still further curtaiIed
10y unfavorable weather, floods and in
seets until now it is generally concaded
that it cannot much exceed 6,5OO.OOO
bales, if it should even be that great.
Against this small crop,as preventing the
price from advancing to the point pre-
viously held with like yields, there have
been two important factors-One the
heavy stock left over from last year, and
another the unexpected and long con-
tinued strike of cotton operatives in the
Lancashire district in England. These,
with slow buying and low prices in the
early part of the season, have kept the
price down, and unless there shall be a !
material advance before next September
the average will probably not exceed q
cents.
The qestion before the planters now is
simply, shall there be a large yield or
high prices? BY the end of this season
there is every probability, even with the
lP2ff ft@ over will not be great enough to in
terfere with next years crop, and the
latter must, therefore, be so calculated
as 70 fill the demands of spinners and |
NOT leave an excess to burden the sue
ceeding year. If this is not done, upon
The first conclusive indication that the
acreage is likely to produce larger crop
than will be actually needed the price
will be depressed, affecting both the cot
ton remaining unsold from the present
season and even of that succeeding If, On
fine other hand, if there is an assurance
that the present and coming crops VIII
not exceed tie probable consumption,
buying will become more brisk and prices
will advance. probably to the points at
which ;hev have been held for the past
fen wears and more, with the exception
of 1886. 1891 and the past disastrous
year.
If the crop could be absolutely regu-
lotad in accordance With Il e acreage
nlanted it might not be a difficult matter
f., insure lust about the quantity de-
sirad Init weather conditions are an all
in,,o,tant factor which can neither be
q. a+,ld nor avoided. Consequently,to be
ON fine safe side, it will be necessary, IN
estimating the requisite acreage, to take
into consideration the probable yield.
The average for the past seventeen years
has been III pounds, or. 30 % bale per
acre During that time the yield tqr
f.,,,r wears exceeded 200 pounds per acre;
f,,. three wears it was between l0O and
900 noun6es for four years it was between
no and $50 pounds; and for three years
1,a,,r..en $50 and 40 pounds, and for
+hroo wears less than 100 pounds 1t
vonld seem, I then, that III PounoS
.,.o,,1d me . fair average. On this basis
- ooo oo0 acres would give crop OF
= 2-2 coo bales. but if the yield should
Ia t,a same rs in 1S9O-91 The crop would
H. 5eo 600 bales. and if the yield were
thai Of 1891 81 the crop would be ''9zo'-
ooo bales. The present crop Is VaHoosly
o.4;,,,+ed rs crown on from 16,OOO,O0o
- - ooo 600 acres, and if the latter tlg-
ure is accepted as more nearly correct
:. o,.i,7ant that. in order to insure a
nron Of not over 100000 bales for the
COMING season, it viii BE- desirable to
80 ro3pc.iop of from 10 to Is pei
cent, in the acreage planted this year.
A Without cooperation throughout the
o. +tor belt it will be impossible to Sc
cure any gener j reduction in the acre acre
ace, as the tendency will be for eaon
nIanter to expect his neighbor to plant
hill be will tmn out TIE same