Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1899-10-27
FARMER AND PLANTER.
SOUTHERN FARM OUTLOOK.

SOO II LNN ANn ~ LOOh'
Ideas Gathered During nm Exten-
sivc Tour Among the south
crn Farmers.
Having recently Travelled through
several southern states and met many
farmers we have been impressed with
the outlook of cheer thit largely pre-
walls.
The crops are very different in the
promise and yield Where rains have
come in time, quantity to suit, the
promise is for II fair yield of cotton,
But much the larger plrt of the cot
ton crop is damaged beyond hope
Some came up too late, some has never
come up. Much of the older cotton Is
very small The rust Is doing great
damage. The bolls are opening ahead
of time, consequently the lint is in
ferior. At this writing, middle of Au-
gust, the condition is such that no
well-iounded estimate can be made.
One thing is certain, there is no pros
pect of a large yield. Very many are
laying-by the cotton for the second
time on account of the grass. Boil
worms are doing much damage. On
many thousands of acres one picking
will get most of the crop, unless a sec
ond crop is made. We thinlr it safe
to say that large crop is not now in
sight or prospect.
What Shall the Farmers DO.
With all the lights before us we say
be very slow selling. A rush will
create a false impression. A small
crop does not cause an immediate rise
in price. Heavy receipts will depress
the market. Hold on until you can see
what the crop will be. There is moth
ing to risk in doing so. AS long as we
have the cotton in hand we are all
right. 1t is when we have neither cot
ton nor money that we are in trouble
There is no better collateral than cot
ton if you need collateral. But if we
have been wise and avoided debt we dc
not need any.
The manufacturer takes twelve
months to spin up crop. We should
be twelve months in selling crop
but some may say we must sell to pay
our obligations. That depends very
much on circumstances. If our crop
is short we must get good price or
suffer. The better price we get the
more of our debts we can pay.
We hope the most of us have not
mortgaged the present crop, that it is
our cotton; if so, hold it. We will
have plenty of time to sell next spring
and summer.
Another Thing to Do.
Organize and build cotton factories
in every county where cotton isgrown
Keep your cotton until your factory
starts and then get the added value oI
the thread and cloth to increase yom
profits. This can be done. Nobody
will be hurt by doing this. Every one
will be helped by it.
Add the spinning and weaving value
TO your cotton and You will be abb
to pay debts, lift martgages, live wei
and be happy. If you are in debt yor
can not hope TO pay out with cotton a.
five cents. But spin that cotton an(
make it worth fifteen TO eighteer
cents and you will be able to do pay
ing. Weave that cotton into cloth
worth from thirty-siX to seventy-twC
cents per pound and you can pay
more debts, lift more mortgages, pas
cash as you go and begin to live.
Southern Buoyancy.
1t is wonderful to see now hopeful
and eXpectant the southern character
is. In spite of all the rain of last fal
and winter, and the severe cold OF Feb
ruary, and the dry weather that has
so largely prevailed, the average south
erner looks at the growing fields o.
August and the whitening harvest o.
September and October and feel.
cheercd. He expects to do a great dca
better next year.
But it is better and wiser to begil
to do better right nov. Make this
present crop worth more before yol
let il go, and try to make another
Hold up your head. be cheerful anc
hopeful, but build Il foundation roj
hope to stand upon. Study how tC
say, "sec what ] have done" rathc,
than what ! am going to do"
Work Together.
The first and most important step il
to organize clubs. 1t matters not b,
what name you call Them. Get to
gether and work together. BY so do
ing you can accomplish very many
things that individual eiIcrts can ner
er do.
You buy cheaper, you sell better
and above all, you make il fashionable
to live within your mears and pay "a
you go.
Perhaps the greatest drawback upor
farming as life occupation is th,
loneliness that comes from isolation
which results from owning largr
farms. This is more hurtful in The
south because we own larger farm
than do the farmers in other countries
And this very fact emphasizes the ne
cessity for any kind Of al organization
that will bring farmers together fo'
consultation and social intercourse
Exchange of ideas brightens CUR wit
and stimulate our thoughts, and thi
is Just the kind of education the farm
er reeds.
But we are straying. We desire t.
call attention to the fact that almos
every one is looking for letter times
and that very fact helps 10 make time
better. Give us more money, so tina
the city and town folks can buy an'
colsume the produce of the farms
Then the farmers having something t.
buy with, will purchase more of th'
wares of the town folks, and both vii
be happier and more prosperous. Man,