The Hawaiian gazette., 1897-03-30

wool in time. would actually super
cede the production Of cotton" Thi'
protection aided the Northwest. ant
operated against the great industry o
the South. II has also. in another direc
ton. 50 far favored Northern capital
4 lists as 70 enable them 10 remove tbs
7 cotton for manufacture vast distance.
from where it is grown. Happily this
{ condition Of things is destined 20 cor
1 rect itself. In 1870 the consumption o.
/ cotton in the South, according 10 OH
I cial statistics OF the United States De
I p2rtuept Of Agriculture. was only 100.
I 600 bales. or exactly 10 per cent: in
| 1899 10 was $4,000 bales. or Sc per
cent. OF the cotton manufactured in
I this country, The South must not only
grow. bur make M its cotton.
The increasing total production and
consumption OF wool is pressing heayi-
I Is upon che South. more heavily than
the foreign production Of cotton. The
two great staples have reacted upon
each other. and have brought prices
20 what they are, and this continued
competition viii assist 10 keen values
low. The price OF cotton cannot appre-
Gladly rise with wool at present values.
and wool Is net only growing in favor
rs an article OF wear. bu< Is now with
in the reach Of The Uass OF buyers.
.3-ENuAUsTIoN or TIE COTTON
LANDS.
In considering local causes Of the
agricultural crisis. the first act is to
inquire into the fertility OF our soils
and 20 determine whether their crop
ping uOwer has been maintained. or in
what measure it has declined. II will
he misleading and useless 70 compare
the Weld per acre OF individual years.
because the crops fiucJuate widely
from year 10 yesr. For example this
year preliminary estimates make the
crops 10 be approximately 100 pounds
per. acre. We. therefore, cover term
OF twenty years. from 1870 70 1889. in
elusive. which is divided into TWO Pc
RODS as follows: Prepared from sta
tistics furnished from the United States
Department Of Agricultural
Periods-lS70-1ST9 average number
Of acres grown. 10.427.S42; average
yield per acre. 1sI lbs: average price
per 10. 10 the farmer. 12-S cents. 1880
1889. average number OF acres grown.
17.7S1172; average yield per acre 1871
lbs: average price per 10. 10 the farm
er. SIS cents.
The above figures show that the
average production OF the lands in
cotton during the ten years Of the
acre. which is 23.7 pounds. OF 12-2 per
cent, less than the average yields Of
the preceding period What does this
actually mean9 Il means no less than
this, that the volume OF cotton which
was produced BY I0.42T.S4 acres. dur
ing the 1S70-1S7e period. required IL
So. 500 acres during the second period.
No less than / $3.50 acres more had
10 be cultivated 70 furnish the same
weight OF cotton. and today. upon
q. 00a $50 acres. this excess OF acreS &c
required 1904. 600 acres The situation
presented By the above table is deplor-
able. Fallen prices and a reduced pro
duet per acre
METHODS OF CULTIVATION OF
THE COTTON CROP.
The figures given in the last brief
table show that the producing power
OF the cotton lands has declined under
the modes OF farming followed. es-
DecialIy during the decade ending with
1880 Also. with the falling prices
and declining yield a vast expansion
Of acreage took place. This great eN-
- s,E Do
creasing product per acre. Old planters
are striving 10 keep in crop the same
breadth planted under other conditions
and new farmers are attempting to
handle tracts quite beyond their con-
troll and the result is what we have
see1-a growing area and q declining
yield. This tendency 10 vast expan-
sion Of the planted area is radically
wrong II Is the direct opposite OF the
tendency IN other branches Of agri-
culture and in all other industries
where we see capital and labor being
concentrated.
We believe the first step 10 be taken
is 20 emf down the acreage and con-
cenuate capital and labor. Let the
poorest lands drop out OF cotton. and
be planted in green crops for grazing.
OF green manuring; or let them lie
still. and nature viii slowly revive
them Concentrate power upon those
lands which viii respond at once. Now.
whether an acre Of land produces 100
Of 500 pounds OF cotton. many Of the
factors Of cost are approximately the
same. The rent and taxes are not re-
lative 10 production; the breaking and
clearing Of new ground. blowing. seed.
cultivation choppfng TO stand. and all
such processes. cost 10 more on good
than on bad land II may cost less
to pick an acre Of 100 pounds. but who
viii compare the expense OF picking
those 500 pounds IRON one acre with
the cost OF gathering the same weight
from three acTe2
Upon the reduced area, planted in
cotton z more modern system Of euI-
tiTstiOu must De praeticed- In the
plain acts OF culture we must be more
thorough Let the ground Be well
Dlowed. which viii b possible with
less 70 ploE. and what is equally i'm
p0rtant, IL can be pIowed at the right
tine Let the planting be done care
fully and Al the right season. which
will be possible upon q less acreage
Th9roughness OF cultivation has been
shown 10 be the greatest economy. In
1852 thirteen practical Texas cotton
planters undertook 10 furnish state
uents 70 the Texas Agricultural Col
lege and Experiment Station OF the
actual cost and production Of their
respective crops fSes bulletin Of that
Institution No 80. and the following