St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1895-03-02
FARMER AND PLANTER
PRODUCTION AND PRICE.

The Direct Cause Of the Prevailing Low
Price Of Cotton.
The direct cause of the low price OF
cotton is over production, or the nat.
ural adjustment of the price to the sup.
ply. That this condition will eventu-
ally correct itself, if allowed to con-
tlnue. is natural law of political
economy, but, while the correction or
adjustment is being wrought, another
natural law will also be at work-the
law of the survival of the fittest. The
weaker will be crushed out and the
stronger made more strong-the poor
be made poorer, the rich richer From
him that hath not shall he taken away,
even that which he hath" The APP
preaching disaster should be modified
II not prevented.
The cotton planters of the south arc
divided into two classes: First, Those
VINO raise cotton as surplus or money
crop and at the same time produce
their own supplies. Second. Those
who raise cotton and from the pro-
ceeds of its sale purchase their sup
plies.
Those Of the first-class, who are not
in debt. are in a better condition than
they imagine themselves. They should
further diversity and rotate their
crops. practice green manuring and
raise live stock. The reasons for this
are many and evident.
The majority of the other class are
truly in deplorablc condition. They
have been running on credits ad-
vanced by merchants who require
that SO much acreage be devoted 10
the production Of cotton, and cotton
alone is required in payment for sup
plies. AS the merchant now sees it, it
would be all the more to his interests
should the farmer devote his entire
time and energies to the production
Of cotton. The farmer is forced to
sacrifice all other crops to the produc-
ton of the one staple. He is always
one year behind with his debts, and
generally more than one.
The most plausible method of relief
that suggests itself is that the farmer
until he is out of debt, at least agrees
to furnish the merchant in payment
for his supplies advanced, not cot
tom but So many pounds of pork.
bacon, beef, mutton, wool. hay,
50 many bashelsot corn. oats. potatoes,
rye, peas. peanuts: SO many gallons of
strip, vinegar, wine: somany chickens,
eggs, turkeys, ducks. guineas, etc,
This would compel both diversity and
rotation of crops and provide abundant
ly for the home table. The fertility of
the sol! would be increased instead of
decreased as under the present system.
And in this connection it might lie re-
marked that the Importance of and
profits from increased soil fertility are
not fully appreciated. 1t has been the |
history of all agricultural countries
that the virgin soil after continued
is SO reduced in fertility
that there is period of agricultural |
depression, which is eventually fol- |
lowed by the rebuilding of the soil |
fertility. The majority Of the cotton /
lands are now 50 reduced that the lost |
fertility must be restored if profit is ex-
pected. The process is slow. but the
results lasting.
To illustrate the profits resulting
rom the cultivation OF fertile soil, sup
bose A. cultivates, at the cost of s.. SO
,er acre, three acres of cotton. pro-
lucing 500 pounds of lint, worth six
,ents per pound, and Il. cultivates. at
he cost of $3.50 per acre, one acre of
'otton, producing 500 pounds OF lint
worth six cents The cotton in both
asses is worth $50 on the market, but
\. clears only g. 80 per acre, while Il.
lears $3.50 per acre.-Prof. c. l.. New
nan. Arkansas Experiment Station.