St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1894-08-25
rwENrY-N1NE CENT
COTTON.

The following is from the Ha'iets-
rille Herald, Texas:
The Herald has or its table an
account sale" Of eight bales OF
cotton sold by Mr.. VIM. billiard to
Morgan, Judd ( Williams, Of Peters
burg (tl'en the capital Of Lavaca
in 1867. The eight bales
weighed 1871 pounds, and brought
291 cents a pound. The total
value was $lO5s "a, which would
have been a very nice sum had MIR.
billiard been permitted to pocket
it: but before the money was paid
there had to be deducted a govern
ment (Republican) tax Of sos o.,
. weighing fee of GO cents a baie'
ana other small items, government
officers commissions, brokerage,
ETC.. which made The sura total OF
expenses to be deducted 1921 35.
That left Mr.. billiard 1922 Of, still q
neat sum-but wait! There Is the
question OF whether lie will take
gold or currency. He decided to
take gold, and for this $l36 more
is deducted. leaving only s6O4 Al
of the $1O53 81 the eight bales OF
29a cent cotton were valued at to
say nothing Of the cost of picking,
planting, chopping, etc. The seed
Of course were worthless i'll those
days.
Now, when that cotton was mar
keted bacon sold at 25 cents a
pound, sugar Is cents, calico %
cents a yard, domestic at % cents,
flour S14 per barrel, etc. Suppose
Mr.. billiard hsd bought then 50
pounds Of bacon, 20 pounds OF
sugar, 20 yards Of calico, 20 yards
OF domestic and l barrel OF -four.
These articles would have cost him
$50 50. Now deduct 500 for
picking, blowing, chopplng, ETC.,
and he has Just SAGA 81 left.
To-day cotton is St to g cents,
and we will figure the seed at, say,
1 cent more, making the cotton
bring u cents. The 1871 pounds
marketed by Mr.. billiard would
bring s267 81. Deduct about so
for labor (at current wages and
prices for picking) and you have
S242 81. Now buy your 80 pounds
Of bacon, s.; 20 pounds Of sugar,
81; 20 yards of calico 81; 20 yards
of domestic. 81 40; barrel of flour.
a.: total SIP 40. This will leave:
after deducting $40 more for ginning
and other incidentals. $2lO y
Out Of eight bales Of POI cent
cotton there is S464 81 left, with
necessaries Of life selling three, four
and five times as high as at present,
rs will be seen by what the two bills
of calico, bacon, etc., are computed
at, while now we have $2lO - left,
with the necessaries of life lower
than ever before in the history OF
this country. The $464 81 then
bought 1889 2-3 pounds Of bacon,
while the $40 ~ will now buy
2lO4 pounds, 3 gain Of 244.3S
pounds. The $464 81 then
would buy about 80 2-3 barrels of
poor flour, while now the $2lO ~
will buy - 2-3 barrels Of the finest
-four. The $464 81 the eight bales
brought then would buy 1859 %
yards Of calico or domestic, while
S2lO 43 the eight bales bring to-day
will buy A2OS1 yards OF either Of
these commodities, OF a gain of
about 2349 yards. Read these
figures carefully. and who will say
that the 6! cent cotton Of to-day
(about IA less than the 1867
cotton) under our Democratic adj
ministration is not more profitable
than the %! cent cotton was: The
crOaker will do xcll to cut this out
and read it carefully every day.
What would you say il you had to
pay 1921 :s3 to market eight bales
Of cotton now: