The Forrest City times. [volume] (Forrest City, Ark.) 1871-1919, 1897-10-15

thoroughly tested. Tie fact that 20
cars of strawberries were shipped from
Van Buren, this year tells the story OF
what can be done by proper effort,
| while shipment from various parts of
the state of early potatoes and other
| vegetables attest the properties OF soil
and climate and afford a cue TO what
may be done when these industries
become general business in all parts
| of the state.
| Drawbacks to Truck Growing.
A ready market and steady demand
for fruits and vegetables would call In
requisition every available patch of
land in the state and encourage pro-
duction. There is always a market for
cotton at some price, but for fruits,
vegetables and berries, all perishable
| products, the producer must depend
on local demand which a small over
| plus overstocks, leaving him with
load of perishable property to cart
| home il he chance to be too late in the
field. The same rule applies in meas
ure TO poultry, eggs and produce. Ii
the demand of the home market cam
not be enlarged by shippers, the next
source of relief is found in the estab-
llshment of manufactures which will
bring consumers to the towns and
cities of Arkansas. The raw material
of the state should be converted into
| finished product here, and until it is
done there can be no permanent pros
| perity. Newcomers who enter the
| field of agriculture and become COM
| petitors of those now engaged are de-
sirable as factors in the development
| of soil resources, but the need of the
state is the manufacturing classes who
will build shops aud factories to draw
money into the state and improve the
home market for home products by
increasing the number of consumers.
Under existing conditions cotton grow
ing is necessity. 1t is useless to argue
that other crops are more renumera-
| tive, SO long as there is no means of
getting such crops to market. Home
market is the best, but when home ere
sents no market it becomes necessary
to find one abroad, and this calls for
additional shipping facilities-that is,
more railroads. The present season is
called
/ The Year of Jubilee
by farmers contiguous to market, on
account of the advance in prices for
cereals and live stock. which advance
seems to be providentially distributed
among the producers rather than CAPT
talists and spectators. And as the
profits fall into the hands of farmers,
all lines of business are receiving bene-
fits from the general advance of farm
products. 1t is doubtful whether the
farmers of Arkansas would have reaped
a harvest of prosperity in proportion to
other sections more forward with
transportation advantages if they had
| planted their fields with corn and
wheat instead of cotton. Under these
conditions the only consolation left
them is the assurance of indirect bene-
| fits which will follow later on from
the prosperous conditions of the north |
ern and northwestern farmers. The
fact that farmers are getting the bene- |
fits of the advance in grain affords con-
ISOLATION two fold. They deserve it,
and in receiving it distribution of
money follows, and it is well estab-
lished fact that when money circulates
business expands
4 N hoPcfui reANure
| While the price Of cotton is low, there
is consideration of great value in the
fact that. owing to the improved
methods, ii is produced now at less
cost than ten years ago. The interest
| charges in advance on crop has al
most vanished. Ten or fifteen years
| ago neither laborer nor land owner
made any profits, except in rare in
! stances, for the reason that interest
| charges, resulting from the then pre-
vailing credit basis, consumed all mar
| gin, and the complaint was that 1.-The
crop was eaten before it reached
| market" OF late years the interest
| charge has been steadily lowered until
production the present season would
have been profitable, had the price of
| cotton advanced with cereals and live
| stock. A solution of the question, Why
| does the price of cotton decline while
that of other products advances? is
| interesting at this time and the answer
| may be found in the fact that cereals
are largely consumed at home while
| cotton is largely marketed abroad
Only 80 per cent of the cotton crop is
| consumed by the spinners of the United
States, leaving 20 per cent to find
market in Europe. 1t may therefore
be accepted as a fact that the price of
American cotton is fixed by Europe,
based on European conditions. On the
other hand, most of the American grain
product is consumed at home. 1t hap
pens this year that both Europe and
Asia have short wheat crop, causing
demand for American grain. 1t
naturally follows that foreign buyers
of high priced bread are forced to
economic in expenditure for clothing
and as result the price of cotton
drops-in other words, foreign consum-
ers of cotton, who are compelled to buy
bread, are curtailing investment some
| what on cotton fabrics
Important Influences at Work.
/ Southern seaport cities have made
great strides the present year in the
reach for foreign trade. Figures are
| published by trade journals showing