The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-10-02
THE PRICE OF COTTON.
The Crop and the Possible Effect Oh
business.

Inc, now tbe COTTON crop and the price OF
the stanle seems 10 be commanding the at
tention OF the commcrcialaho iii''" ''e' VI
ing world. ,,,, o,,,,> mil,
Il is conceded on all sides that the crop VIII
ba q short one The excessively hot and dry
weather has caused much OF tile crop 10 IA
off prematurely. while the remaining Dolls
did not grow TO luli size.
The crop in Abbeville County mas SuHereu
yreatiy. but we have not lost more by the un-
favorable seasons than have other sec
tions The fact is, owing TO lhe auaplanllitS
of our soil and the reaSonaole ccrtniniE 90, oi
eyemplion from excessive drouthS, TINS sec
tion of the country never fails TO produce d
fair crop Of cotton. The farmer VINO pithtss
cotton may do so with Il reasonable degree OF
certainty of gathering reasonable Slelu ioi
his labor and expense. ,,o
0f course some seasons are more iavorable
than Others, and in some years larger crops
are raised than when the rainfall Is less Id
vorable but with US the c9tto etTp o,bcr or crons
may fail occasionally. but tne man Mho Mio
plants cotton is sure to make Sonetning. ,' ne
certainty of the crop has inauceu ptnu pio do.
tion which has increased faster than Tue ae'
mand for the crop, and this has been tne Iar-
n1ers greatest troublc--the constant decrease
IN price. ., ,o,,ou ,ho,, a,,or
Last year the price dropped lower than ever
before and greatly discouraged the hrmine
interests So great was the depression thal
public meetings were hcid NJ whlch resoiu'
lions were passed discountenanclng Inc
nllntlnn
lions. however were no doubt intended Tor
the governing OF their neighbors in the re,
ductlon OF area. AS far as we know the nard
headed sensible people who expected 10 nave
need of money this fall planted cotton as
usual in the Spring, and the result has prov
ed the wisdom Of the course. The farmer
who has no cotton TO sell Is in n pad conai
ton for getting ready money. IL ne oHeLs "
sell corn potatoes, or other crops he VIII oe
convinced Of error in supposing that any
thing is better than cotton. , .s,.,.
Last wear cotton was sold ut or below nVe
cents. If a four-huu dred-pound bale Drousnd
S90 the cost of picking was about $3.50, at iO
cents a hundred. The ginning COST, say - q VU W.
the bagging possibly Sl.25. y cost OF say, sa.W O
for preparing the bale for market AFTER ~ VIZ VIZ
open in the field, leaving only SlH,% @ 1c'e for for
such cotton as was sold at five cents, whlie IL
is true that much OF it was sold at a less
price. -, from
s toS ID cents. Take the higher price for
this year as we have taken the higher price
for last year. and we would have for 1our'
hundred.pound bale S34. The cost Of picking,
baeeing, ties and ginning is the same. this
year as last year. Take the s. off for these
items and we have SIT for each four-hundred'
pound bale which is sold this year.
This would show better profit TO our iar'
mers for this year on q smaller crop than
they had last year on the larger crop.
While we talk freely of half crops 1t is true
that we never made as little as hall crop I'D
may have fallen off fifty per cent. in their
production, but the shipment from our depots
is the true test OF the crop. The shipments
will not probably be more than twenty per
cent short of last years crop.
For every ten thousand bales shipped las'
year we will likely ship eight thousand, or
more bales this year. The eight thousand
bales will realize TO the farmers nearly douo-
le the amount received for ten thousand baleS
last year.
When we remember that this crop has been
made with the least possible expenditure OF
money, and when we will realize nearly
double the amount of money for this crop
that was received for the last crop, we nave
reason to believe that business OF all KINDS
will prosper, that the people will pay thelr
debts, and that the trade at our stores Will pe
greatly improved. ..
The hard year through which we have just
passed has taught all Of us lessons OF econ
omy, II these lessons are worth anything.
and If our people are wise, 1T may safely De
predicted that the people of Aboeville county
are entering upon an era OF prosperity. Inc
large cotton mills that are going up al Green
wood and Abbeville will create local de-
mand for a large per cent OF the crop that
will be raised in this county, and their pres
ence will always be guarantee that the lar-
mers will always get good prices for their
product. Besides the certain demand lot cot
ton, a ready market in each OF these towns
will be found for all kinds Of garden ana
field crops.