The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1898-02-02
GOOD ADVICE TO FARMERS

IN g Few F3S ek5.
The following circular from Latham,
Alexander & Co., of New York, is IN
teresting reading and We commend the
advice therein contained to the cotton
farmers:
It seems to US that the most 7itally
impo, tant lesson for the South to learn
is that over production OF cotton is Sc
riously harmfu to tie material pos
perity OF that section.
We have repeatedly written on this
subject and feel that we have ex-
hausted the argument; nevertheless,
with the result Of the current crop, We
are constrained to write again, even at
the risk of reiteratiDG what we have
said before.
Whatever share the merchants and
planters of the South are to have in
lhe revi al of business and ger EeraI
prosperity of the country. now ap-
parently well started, will depend
upon the profit that is made in the
production Of cotton, crop worth
$500, ,oC0,O coo.
Tie total crop OF 1886 was Z, ISL.
346 bales, and it sold at the averae e
price OF S O9 cents per pourd. or s4O.S2
per bale according to the record OF e1-
ports aud the cffcial 6gures of the bu-
reau of statistics 1T Washington. The
planters that year made larger food
crops, and wlen the planting season
the next year bsgsn, they were forti.
fed with every requisite to produce
c)ttcn cbeaply.
Last year the total crop was s. 49,
964 bales, and tee ayerase price was
TAP cents per pound, or $57 40 per
bale, the crop yielding, perhaps, q
larger p,it than for many years, De-
cause planters had few supplies to euy.
The SUCCESS resulting from the coz
servative policy which was pursued
these two years did not induce plsnt-
ers to adhere to that line Of action; on
the contrary, they increased their pur.
chases of fertilizers this year, and
many OF them drif.ed back almost to
the all-cotton principle, and lanted
the largest cotton acreaee ever known,
hoping that the world would lay re
munerative prices for the staple, 20
matter how large the sup1Iy
The disastrous resul. of over-slaut-
ing this year is slready clearly shown
by comparison with last year, when
the acreage devoted to cotton was d, =
cidedlv less.
Las. year the amoun. Of cotton mar
keted to January 1st was 3, 1898, lS2
bales. the average price resl:z.d was
7 So cents per pound, s37 81 per bale,
or s242, 939 $50
This year 1860, ,G33 bales were mar
keted to January 1st, the average
pr;cs realized was 605 CENTS per
pound, $50 40 per bale, or 1921, ,35S zOS.
The planters shipped to market SOL, )
S4I bales CT cotton more by January
Is, this year than last, and received
for them $21, $50 944 less money. In
other words, owing tothe O@er price,
il duced By over. production, the peo
pie of the South have lost On cotton
sbipp:d to market by January lst this
year. the total value OF 611,S4l bats,
namely $32, 724 102 and S2S $50 944 De
sides, making grand total less OF
S54,305, 046
To further illustrate the luincus e
fec. OF over plan ting, We make the fol-
lowing summary o. crops and pric S:
Crop. Average
Bales, Price. Proceeds,
1s93-94. ,549,sI7 7G9 1922, ,932 ,S95
..",J0I,I5l 81 23S, ,504
1sq5-9G......7,l57,345 500 292 234 4377
1896 .97.....s,1 ,1577 9G4 ,42 327, 541,s5f
It Will be sea mat N 1888 81 COP
of 7549,S17 bales sold fer = Ola 395
more trau the large crop OF 9 90l Isl
bales the next wear, in 1895 96 a coop
of oriy 7, ,157, ,346 bales bgought$3 3l5
933 more than the 9,901. lsi crop. and
tnat the crop OF S, ,7o7, 954 oales brought
S3S. .629, $50 more than WAS received tor
9 eOI Isl ba' 'es marketed in 1894 90.
Such ircoutestabie facts show what
enormous losses the Scu:h has Sus
tained by over-Production, ana are
sutfi .ieut 10 cause a radical chaGGe III
planting operations.
It is coGctGed on every hard tnat
the price thus far received Tor This
Tear's c., , 3as yielded no prof. tot e
nIanter. and even though more 1Dan
Two trirds Of tGe crop mas been sold TO
this date, prices are even yet oa!og
the CT Of production,
o. account of the large crop and
Low nricss resulting lnerefrom, it Is Of
vial Importance, no. only to the
south. but the whole couatry, that
the cotton acreage for tie next year be
~ steriauy reduced, il order to ad-
vance the price Of the greatest product
of the [ uitej States to paying basis.
II the planters Of the South suffer
less. the people Of the whole country