The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1899-03-08
Over-Production of Cotton.

COUCOn crop OF TIE SOuCu is IudU0 10y
troopers and renters, who do not con-
troll the crop after it is made. 1t is a
crop liened to the village merchant for
supplies on which he makes profit of
SO per cent or more. This credit SyS-
tenn continues a shftless, unthinking
class of troopers and tenants who
know nothing but cotton, to the detri
ment of the progressive farming class.
1t was a bonanza to the mortgage
holder when cotton was seven and
eight cents per pound, but ut four and
five cents the supplies furnished are
not covered by proceeds of the crop.
A continued lowering of the price of
cotton. that will make it unsafe for
the lender to accept crop lien unless
the borrower will agree to grow his
own "hOg and hominv" is the only
hone of reduction of sAe cotton c'."''
sufficiently to come with the worlds
demands.
These growers of ee-fnurths of
the cotton crop take no paper they do
not think How can thry be- rca he'd?
If they could he reached sensible
old farmer in The Atlanta Con t I'll
ton Indicates rovtp for their red mp
ton. He claims the supply merchant
is doing more by furnishing Ties"
thriftlesS all-cottOn spectators tn in
lure the south than anybody ri @ an
the remedy proposed is for the Dor
rover to divorce himself from the
lender. He can he reached only
through that individual. who will he
the last man to help his victim to in
dependence so long as the cotton crop
will keep him in subsection.
The South is confronted with the
following facts: 1t is not a theory bat
a condition that confronts her:
1. The South's principal agricultur-
al product is cotton.
2. The principal producers of cot
ton are troopers and renters. who do
not control the crop.
3. They are generally of a shiftless
unthinking class who do not read.
a. They grow the crop on a credit
for supplies at profit to the lender of
40 per cent and upwards.
5. This system results in great
Over-productiOn of cotton to the great
detriment of all classes in the South,
except the vender of supplies.
6. AS the producers of three-fOurths
of the cotton neither read nor think,
they can only be reached through the
supply merchants, whose interest is to
keep them in bondage until there is
nothing in cotton for him.
But here is the old farmers plan Of
gaining independence by a crop lien
crushed cotton grower:
Any crOpper starting out this Janu
airy, 1899, with nothing but the clothes
he has on his back, with a wife that
will help him work, can, by the LIST
of January, 19O1-twO years from date
be in a position to run himself to
make the crop of 1901 without a dol
lars assistance from anybody. Take
it that he and his wife are willing and
do work, they can cultivate a crop and
expect to make in a fair average year
about as follows:
Twenty acres in cotton, seven bales,
worth at $25 per bale, $175; ten acres
in corn, producing 100 bushels; four in
wheat, producing thirty bushels; four
teen in peas, producing seventy bush
els.
This fourteen acres in peas being
the same ten acres in corn and fOul
acres of wheat land, afterwards sOWn
in peas.
The peas planted broadcast on the
ten acres of corn land, costing no eX-
ira labor; no expense except tue seed
ing.
Now, this man, living about as the
common run of tenants live, tO-Wit:
One bushel of meal, fourteen pounds
of meat, One-half gallon of syrup, with
q little flour and sugar and coffee Oc