The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1896-02-12
A Bale tO,.the Acre.,

All men who think are united in the
effort to keep down the cotton acreage
for the current year. They recognize the
imperative need of this course, and the
folly of any other. But the better prices
which cotton has brought during the past
few months tempts the farmer to raise
more this year. The added hope that
others will reduce the acreage and he will
profit by their prudence, will lead many
more to crowd on all the steam they can,
and ralae ust as much as possible. This
Is human nature.
We have suggested as an avenue of
safety by which each farmer can know
positively how much cotton he can afford
to raise, that every man first be sure that
he has made full allowance for all the
provision crops he will need, and then
have his cotton as a surplus, OF money
crop. We believe that this course will
meet all the requirements of reduced
acreage. We find another excellent sug-
| gestion in the Weekly Constitution from
Col. r. J. Redding, director Of the Ex-
pertinent Station. His advice to farmers
is as follows:
The farmers who are going to make
money on their cotton Tor ut least not
lose any in this year 1896 will be those
who plant only q small area of their best
land and f~ertilize every acre literally.
The profitable crops will be those made
at the rate of one-half TO one and a half
bales TO the acre. There is no money to
speak of in making less than half a bale
to the acre, ever at present prices. Every
farmer should resolve to plant only such
land as will, with reasonable fertilizing,
| yield an average Of one bale to the acre.
The object should be to reduce the cost
of production, This is the secret of sue
cessful cotton farming. To reduce cost
necessarily involves reduction Of area to
reduce cost materially-to q safe basis
involves.a large reduction; this large re-
duction means a material decrease in the
total number Of bales made by a farmer.
This policy is one that can be adopted by
any farmer, without waiting for others to
agree to it. 1t is entirely independent OF
what others may do. Ifothers adopt the
policy, we'll and good; they will get the
benefits Of its safe and certain results. IF
q great many adopt it, all the better, for
such a general or universal adoption Of
tho policy would inevitably be followed
by such falling off in the aggregate pro-
and a corresponding advance in the price
would result.
r. We repeat that the strong point in u
contention is that the policy of n bale
to the acre is q good one, if only one man
adopts it, and it is equally good if a
thousand adopt it, and it becomes more
and more effective as it is more and more
widely adopted. Better make only half
as many bales IS you did last year at a
| cost of 4 cents q pound and sell il for 5 or
6, than to make as many as you did last
year at a cost of 6 cents and sell it for 5 or
6 cents.
This is good advice, and fortunate it
would be for our country if all farmers
would follow it. But some farmers have
not learned yet there is more money in
five bales of cotton with So q bale profit
than in fifty bales with 5. a bale loss.
Some farmers find it difficult to learn
| that it is possible to lose money instead
Of making it in a big cotton crop. Pick
out your best land, make your cotton as
cbesply as possible, and be sure there is
profit 10 it.-Augusta Chronicle.