The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1896-01-01
Cotton Acreage for 1896.
A Timely Circular to Farmers by
the Memphis Cotton
Exchange.

Memphis, Tenn. Dec A.-At
general meeting Of the Memphis cot
ton exchange, held Dec. %, 1898, the
following resolutions were unani-
mousiy adopted:
The cotton crop of lS949 95 aggre-
gated the enormous total of 9,90l,-
PSI bales, and greatly exceeded the
requirements of the worlds manu-
facturers The marketing Of this
enormous crop depressed prices to
such an extent that values were the
lowest known in the past 50 years
The commercial value of the total
crop was s297, ,o37,5S0, and only ex-
ceeded the short crop of 1892 So
sl2,272,oS1, although the production
was 3,200,SS6 bale greater This
enormous crop with its proportion
ately low price, net,ed the producer
less money than will the present crop
with a smaller acreage and produc-
ton of nearly one.third less in bales.
II having been practically demon
strated by the results Of the present
season that a small crop Of cotton
actually brings to the producer more
money than an extremely large crop,
and that the southern cotton pro-
ducers having grown their supplies
at home, thereby making cotton the
surplus, or money crop, are generally
in better financial condition than they
have been in years, it is unqucstion,
ably to the interest of farmers not to
produce crop greater than the re-
ouirements of manufacturers. The
growing of large crop of cotton
entails proportionately create! ex.
penses than a small crop The cu|ti-
vating, ginning, freight, etc, in
marketing the additional bale is an
immense item,. especially SO when
prices are deprecated by the fact that
the crop is large one. Experience
of the past has demonstrated that in
large crop year, with deprecated
prices of cotton, rental and realty
values also depreciate, whereas. with
small crop and better prices, rental
and realty values improve proportion
ately. The high range of prices
which have prevailed this season as
compared to last season has been, we
fear, the means of stimulating on the
part of planters desire to increase
the acreage Of cotton for the CON-
ing year, and consumers are now
holding off in laying in supply of
the staple under the belief that an in
crease in the acreage will depreciate
present prices and enable them to
get what they need at lower values
Another matter for the farmers to
bear in mind, is that at the present
time when there is remote posslbil-
ity of a war, if such should occur,
the inevitable result thereof would be
to depreciate the value of cotton and
appreciate the value of all food crops;
therefore be it.
Resolved, That the Memphis Cot
ton Exchange urgently recommends
to the producers that the production
of home supplies be made the first
consideration in planting operations
for the coming year, and the acreage
of cotton be not increased over that
of last year
Resolved, That we approve and
indorse the American Cotton Grow
ers' association for bringing about
the reduction in the acreage of the
crop now being marketed, and we
respectfully urge the Hon. Hector D
Lane, the president, and his coad-
tutors, the presidents of the various
cotton States of said association, to
urge it again upon the attention of
the cotton producers Of the south
Resolved, That the various cotton
exchanges throughout the south be
and are hereby requested to co-ope.
rate with this exchange in this matter
and that the southern newspapers are
also requested to publish these resolu-
tions.
I. Med. Massey, President.
Henry Hotter, Secretary