The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1894-04-10
The Next Cotton Crop.

vye frnouentIy receive requests from
farmers and others TO urge upon the south-
ern farmers to reduce the area oil the COZ
ton crop. They say that all the lndlca-
tione noint To a low price for the staple
next fall The increased production anu
improved quality of the crops Oh H5SP1'
India China. and other Asiatc regions arc
given as causes of present ana pfoSieC.NS
low prices. The great ana ahhuaiS III
creasing crop OF Texas is also an h,ip pt
tant factor in general production. Alle
allowing the full effect OF the lDel -,
crop in prices there are yet otner coii9loei'
tionS that have their weight anu Iol "i
the producers of cotton are IN no Wise
responsihie The general so-called depreS-
sion in all lines of production, lncludihS
manufactures and mining, can Tor SOM
additional explanation when Is loI ei5i ~
our present purpose to consider. ouliice IL ~
saw that the most of it due to the mlSefapie,
not to say barbarous, oppressive ana I'M
INST system OF finance that preVahs III
ENGLAND and the United states. fohucS ~
not our field of discussion. Whatever Oh
ADVANTAGE or benefit there may be IN leg
4slative reform, it is more or less remote
.ra uncertain of attainment. The farmers
arc NOW confronted, as they nave peeh
every year for twenty years past WIN
the nroblem of immediate living. Ihey can
NOT wait on the "sowest of SLOW" move
rnents of congress What is to be done
about il? Everybody says plant less cot
ton-reduce the area i'll cotton-dlIhIiil9h
the production" But alas nearly every
body waits on everybody else to 90 the
reducing" Every farmer wishes that eV-
erv other farmer would wisely stop ana
consider and plant less cotton. But
alas! Every farmer is hopeful OF Gener-
al reduction of area by all the other 1afm-
ers, while he will plant the same or niue
more and he alone, or with lew equally
rs shrewd as himself, will get the benefit
of the higher prices, resultant from
smaller general crop, without reducing MS
own crop"
We know it is rather late now either to
urge u general reduction or to appear 10
The individual farmer to contract his area
the CROP will generally have been planted
before this article reaches the readers Tor
whom il is iatended. But still 1t is not TOO
late in the upper part of the cotton pelt;
and il is not too late to impress the general
Idea at any time We have repeatedly urged
that the remedy for this state OF things
is an individual one, calling for individual,
independent action Past history proves
that conventions and resolutions 10 reduce
the cotton area are practically worthless
and Ineffective. The true argument IS to
show that it Will be to the advantage of
every farmer to make less cotton whatever
other farmers may do. AS we nave often
insisted a farmer cannot control the market
price. The effort TO do so by resolutions
in convention TO reduce the area ana mus
diminish production, have uniformly failed.
II youId seenl-indeed, the conclusion is
forcsl-that one farmer cannot rely on the
word or promise OF another farmer-ceftalh-
IL not on the promises OF al oliier ldlll-
ers Nor can all the other farmers rely on
the one farmer. We are mistrusttuI OF each
other Yes and it will always be so, in
matters OF this sort. OF course, there are
numerous exceptions bright examples Oh
men who honestly carry out their pedSeS
and who do themselves as they DeheVe All
others should do. But what are theSe
among So manvg' In whatever way we
view the matter We must come to the
same conclusion. Old Joshua Sald, As
Tor me and my house, We viii serve the
Lord" 1t is folly TO plant ana cultivate
harvest and prepare, and haul TO market
bale of cotton that has cost $35, and sell 1t
for SO. That is simple arithmetic. IN
deed il is as simple as counting the myers
OF each hand to see if there IS an equai
number on the right and left. What then!
The fault or folly does not consist IN
esiIino- the bale OF cotton Tor So. mat IS
somebody else's fault or 1t is the fault
1f all combined The foly-fOr that is the
name for tiles in permitting the bale OF
cotton to cost 50! There is the fatal error
of all farming that does not succeed. we
wish we could emphasize lt-that we could
burn il into every farmers CONSCIOUSNESS
as with "a hot iron. The remedy-We nave
given 1T often in these columnS-ls lhten-
sivc farming-hsh farming common-senSe
iarnfng-business farming. 10 make a
larger Yield per acre, without CORE
sroudiua increase in the cost. We will not
repeat details. our readers are familiar
with the argument. They only need e&-
nortation. All that has been said applies
with essential force to every crd4 that
farmer produces-corn, small grain peas,
potatoes. Everything should be grown on
the intensive plan, which is nothing but
the coWmon-seuse plan. There is just as
much folly in growing corn at a cost oil
6u cents when it can be bought for 60 cents,
and 50 ON through the whole list, and the
Iohy is repeated just as often and just as
extensively The fault Is not with the
crop, or the market, or the seasons-it Is
with the prevailing mode of farming.
X. j. REDDING.