The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1894-04-10
An Opportunity for Cotton Planters.

An Opportunity for Cotton Planters.
The cotton growers of the south have
rare opportunity within easy grasp to-
day. if they can only be made to see 1t
and avail themselves of it.
The secret of better prices for the next
crop lies in a material reduction of the
acreage planted. This is absolutely GER
tain, and if our farmers ignore the doc
trine they must suffer the consequent
punishment
1t is as plain as two and two make
four. that the last three crops have; in
the aggregate amounted to overproduc-
ton, and the surplus i'll any commodity
is what most seriously depreciatcs the
price Relative scarcity of any article
invariably enhances its value, and per
contra, superabundance lowers its mar
ket price.
We bcSccch our farmers to plant less
cotton ana raise Il more generous supply
of food products We know this advice
is not new, but prevailing conditions
make il OF unprecedented importance.
The current crop of cotton has not been
very probably markcted-in fact the
ruling price today is said TO be below
the average cost of production. Now. II
the farmers will reduce their cotton
acreage this year and thereby lessen the
forthcoming crop. the worlds conSump-
ton of the staple will easily Overtake the
visible supply, and a material advance
in cotton before the first bale is picked
of the next crop will be inevitable. The
south has practical monopoly of cot
IL, n1
that the possibilities Of immense wealth,
which that natural monopoly offers.
should he turned to positive diSad-
vantage by reckless Ovcrmoduction Our
farmers should fill larger barns with
corn ana bigger SmollchouSeS with meat
to widen their pastures for increasing
herds Of cattle, and to improve their
stock breeding. Secure all these sub
stantal essentials to successful farm
ing, and let cotton, for one year at least
be virtually a surplus crop. Try the eX-
pertinent if only for yaricty's sake. and
ut the end OF the year compare the re-
suit with those which have followed The
practice of planting for Il BIG crop re-
gardlcss of whether it brings little or
much when taken 10 market
The statistical position of cotton to-
day is the strongest possible argument
for making a smaller crop next year:
On September 1, 1890, the
visible supply of Amer
lean cotton i'm the world
The crop for ilS9ii-'gi was. 8. $50, 597
The crop for 1919 was .9U55,3l9
Total supply for two years. 1S,2l3,266
The result OF these two
large crops was the low
est price cotton has
reached in more than
forty years.
Tho surplus of American
cotton left over on the list
of September. 1892. was. .21iS,998
The crop for 1929 was g. $50
The generally accepted
innate for the crop this
year IS. i,5UoV0O-lo 1905
Decrease in the supply for
owing to thc lockout in England last
ycar. which lasted for months. and dur
in@ which time a third of all the spin
dies in that country were idle, to the
great coal strike which followed. ana to
the depression of trade throughout the
world, the CONSUMPTION of cotton de
creased. In consequence the surplus of
cotton in the world has not yet been
uscd up. II is estimated however. that
the consumption this wear will reach
S0000oO bales. and with the revival of
business Will materially increase next
year.
The visible supply is perhaps less than
II has been in many years. The strict
economy practiccd by all classes viii
create Il great demand for cotton goods
when prosperity returns, as sooner or
later il must.
On the LIST Of April 1899 the visible
supply of American cotton was. ,S35
Crop for $3.50 was i,3ll.322
Crop for ISyg-9l was =. :. S'6o2,5S.
that western country.
Crop for 1891 Y was. 9,035,379
Total supply of American cotton
for three years. %, l69 1913
Deduct surplus September l. 1899. 2,14s, 1856
yeaTs =. ~. -. =. =. =. -. =. %, 800 125
Of ' .' a. ..'.. ',.i. 777s375
above that the supply of American
cotton for the two years ending
the LIST of next September will not
Ghe world will require, therefore,
next year the basis of con-
sumption for the three years end
ing September /, 1892. G110,762
There is no reason 10 believe that the
consumption for the three years begin
n'lG September /. I0sj-, VIII nc less lliiil
it was during the three preceding years.
On the contrary there are many reasons
to believe it will be decidedly greater.
But the farmer must remember that it
is the surplus bale which depresses the
price. and trat there is now large Wis
ible supply hanging over the markets of
the world. and seriously depressing the
price This surplus will not be eX-
hausted by the beginning of the next
season If the cotton growers would
command the situation they must grow
less cotton The supply from the next
crop should not exceed 7.3o0.000.
We repeat: reducing the cotton acre
ace this year is duty every farmer
owes to his family. If it was reduced
90 per cent ten or twclyc-cent cotton
would not be improbable next season.
The farmer would make more money If
h.. had left 20 per cent of his land I'M
cultivated than to plant this year in cot
ton
Let merchants, farmers and all classes