The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1895-01-09
THE COTTON QUESTION
some Coed Advice in :ie@arl to Reducing
the Acreage.

\ correspondent Of The Southern
Cultivator and Dixie Farmer form
Pomaria. S. c.. gives some excellent
advice on the cotton question. tie
says:
Without entering into full discus
sion of the subject, Shall the South
abandon the culture of cotton, or how
can farming be made remuneratlve:
reply by saying that the farmers OF
the cotton growing States were to dl-
versify their crops, plant 20per cent:
less cotton. and that 25 per cent planted
in provision crops. more money would
be realized. and at much less cost than
is now realized from the area planted
in cotton. Besides this, the 25 per
cent additional to what is now plant
ed in provision crops would make the
country self sustaining.
The depression among farmers eX-
tends over the whole country. but
were they not in debt the grounds for
complaint would be less real than
otherwise. In my judgment, over
production of crops of the civilized
world, in the cereals, apparent from
the prices of these products. 1t must
be borne in mind that in 1898 the sur
plus production of wheat in the prin-
cipal wheat growing countries of the
world reached 3S1, $50, 900 bushels,
Russia, the United States and India
alone, amongthe many wheat produc-
ing countries. show surplus Of ~
S93. 900. 69,51S.000 and AZ, 562, 900
bushels respectively.
Such an excess Of breadstuffs on
the Eastern continent for several years
past, where formerly there was a very
large demand from the United States
at remunerative prices is the cause OF
the depression in grain growing StaGes.
a failure Of provision crops IN Europe
would naturally force these countries
to draw their supply from the United
States, and at such prices as to make
the growing Of wheat remrnerative to
the wheat growing sections Of this
country. Flour is to day sold in the
market alta price below the cost Of
production. The Southern farmers
imagine that it is cheaper to buy their
flour than to grow the wheat Theo-
| retically this may appear to be true,
but practically it is delusion. Every
farm should be self sustaining. where
it is possible to be so.
It must be remembered that the pro-
duction of cotton is on the increase IN
countries where formerly very little
was raised. Egypt, India, Asia, South
America and other countries are form
idable competitors with the United
States. the more formidable from the
! fact that laborers work for from to
10 cents per day.
The exports from the United States
for the fiscal year ending June 30Ih,
1898. and of cotton for the ten months
ending June 30th. show an enormous
decline as compared with the preced-
ing year. The total ,T-alue Of the lead
ing articles for the time mentioned
| was as follows:
1892. 1898.
Cotton. $3.50, 035, ,39S $3.50, III, ,042
Breadstuffs. 2SS, 935, 900 1SS, S,9S1 COO
Mineral OIL. A, ,191, O01 II, $50 900.
A decrease in the exports Of these
articles Of $4,000, 600.
The only solution that I see in the
present embarrassment of the South is
for the farmers to raise their own pro
visions, to diversity, raising all the
crops to supply the wants of man and
beast, and to reduce the area in cotton
to the extent of at least 25 per cent. so
that the production will not exceed
100000 bales Cotton can not be
grown at 5 cents per pound to buy
provisions, and the sooner our farmers
realize this fact, the better their con-
dition will be.
If the South continues in the course
now pursued bankruptcy will follow.
Our land owners, to large extent,
will become tenants of capitalists, and
thus destroy the manhood of our peo-
plea people chivalrous, hospitable,
prosperous and contented.