The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-01-30
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Cheaper Than Cotton.

An Intelligent farmer, who is not
disposed to believe everything that he
hears and does not take anything for
granted, talked to Reporter for the
Ne,cs and Courier yesterday in very
entertaining way about the farmers
and fertilizers. His views were so
interesting and some Of his conclu-
sions so surprising that what he said
is given as follows:
''The drop in the price Of cotton
from seven to five CENTS" he said,
''may well cause CONSERVATION to the
planters. Some ten years ago it fell
from twelve to eight cents, and then,
as now, planters were advised to plant
less cotton, to raise more corn and
meat and, before all else, to quit using
fertilizers, but this advice was un-
needed and, for reasons satisfactory to
himself, the planter continued to plant
all the cotton he could, to buy his
corn and meat and to use fertilizers.
with the drop in the price Of cot
ton from seven to FIVE cents the same
advice to plant less cotton, raise more
food and use no fertilizers is offered
the plarters. But the situation under
which We face 6ve-cent, possibly four
cent, cotton is entirely unlike any
before known by the planter. AS to
planting less cotton and thereby en-
hancing the price: High priced cot
ton has its disadvantages. 1t has in
duced the most strenuous efforts to
produce cotton in other countries, and
these efforts have been very successful
and are recognized as menace to our
boasted supremacy in cotton produc-
ton. As foreign grown wheat has
forced down the world price, SO it is
that foreign grown cotton alone has
forced down the price in this country.
This foreign competition has come to
stay, and we must meet it by improved
| methods and increased economies, 80
that possibly we can grow even four.
cent cotton at a profit, and thus re-
cover our former supremacy in the
markets of the world. With fve-cent
cotton the cotton belt has all the
natural factors for manufacturing low
grade cotton goods for large portion
Of the world. The advice SO persist
emily given for years that we raise
more of our own food is now being sc
well followed that this season a gooc
portion of the planters commence the
year with enough corn and meat o.
their own raising for the years sup
lply.
GAS to the advice that less or nj
fertilizers be used, there is more to b
said than upon either Of the othe'
points referred to above. That tht
South will continue to plant cotton il
much the same proportion as hereto
fore there are good reasons to believe
It is now largely growing its own food
is SO thoroughly satisfied with th'
result that 1t will continue to grow it,
corn and meat in increased proper
tions each year. When cotton sold n
Is cents pound, on much of the lant
it could not be grown at profit with
out the use of. Fertilizers. About 1871
fertilizers we're introduced and thei
use increased from year to year from
that time until last year some 80O,OO1
to 100000 tons were used under cotton
ssWhen cotton sold for Is cents {
pound fertilizers sold for $75 ton
Fertilizers at that time furnished les'
than one-half the percentage of plant
food that they furnish now. At first
only fifty pounds per acre was used
It was found advantageous to increase
this quantity, until now the average
used per acre is 200 pounds. To pay
for this 200 pounds with cotton at II
cents pound and fertilizer at s75 PEI
ton took so pounds of cotton, or $50
with cotton at 10 cents and fertilizers
at $40 ton it still takes 30 pounds Of
cotton to pay for the 200 pounds Of
fertilizer for one acre. Cotton at
cents pound and fertilizer at $50 q
ton, so pounds Of cotton pays for zoe
pounds of fertilizer with cotton at 4
cents pound and fertilizer at 500 q
ton, 10 pounds Of cotton still pays fol-
200 pounds of fertilizer. The planter
has always paid the proceeds of SO
pounds of cotton for the fertilizer for
an acre. This he did, and found a
satisfactory profit in it, when fertili-
zer sold for $75 per ton. Through all
the stages of the decline in price Of
cotton from Is cents to 4 cents per
pound the cost Of fertilizer has kept
an even pace with it, so that for the
past twenty years the fertilizer for an
acre in cotton could be paid for with
the proceeds of SO pounds Of cotton.
Remarkable as this statement may
appear it is nevertheless absolutely
true. To this statement may be added
the fact that for his so pounds of cot
ton the planter now receives twice as
much plant food as he received for it
twenty-four years ago.
aThere has been no time in the
history of cotton growing when fer
tilizer could be used at better per-
e ',