The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1899-03-25
FUTURE OF COTTON.

| note your editorial on "Cottor
Acreage for 1899" in the Journa
for February. What you say
is very noteworthy and should b,
needed by each individual cotton
grower.
Cotton planters, factors, bank
ers and merchants. who furnish
the soil and financiering brains as
we'll as the intelligence behind and
promoting the production of cot
ton, should never anticipate San
other short crop" 1t Is now
among the remotest of possibili-
ties. The increase of cotton pro-
duction has grown at a pace only
equalled, if at all, by the wheat
production of the Northwest dur
ing the eighties.
There Is too much land thor
oughly adapted to it in the South.
There is to much labor suited to
it, now available and this on the
increase. The use of improved i'm
plements Is growing yearly. There
are immense acres of wild lands
only burden now to the owner,
which as speedily as possible will
be prepared for the plow. No
hand can stay it. The "old worn
out hill sides" Of the older states,
by use of fertilizers, are made to
yield twice as much as ten years
ago.
For years each cotton grower
has deluded himself with the FANCY
THAT ALL THE REST were going to
"reduce their acreage. a IT has
been recommended by wise(0 as
semblages and really never been
needed by any Qua. II IS a- "a s:::ccS.- ~
tural impossibilitY.
Why sir, in September last it
was claimed by many ''ohserversn
ind statistipians that the state of
Texas and Indian Territory we're
like to produce 100000 bales
this year Her pushing, enter
prising people boast now, that we
of the older states are not in it, us
they INTEND in a very few years
to make 100000 bales, and they
can do it, and WHY ppt +? They
have tha lapd and are getting the
people as fast as railroads can take
them there.
Again what of the 15,0o0,0o0
acres of alluvial lands in the valley
of the Mississippi river and trlbu-
taNes, now scarcely touched by
the axe-men I These lands with
the levees up, as they soon will be
giving protection every where from
overflow and owned rs they are by
private parties, who are develop
ing them as fast as possible, can give
10000 for acres to cotton and
have 100000 for corn, pastures,
forage crop, potatoes, etc, ETC.,
snA make nearly as much cotton
as we now say is too much.
In view of these facts and con
ditiana, oap We curtail acreage I
1t is unnatural and unwise If we
could. Curtailment literally means
atagnahon, sloth, getting behind
the procession.
Cut down acreage No sir
Let the price &c where IT wilh it
cannot and should not be done: II
one man cannot survive low prices
by his management and domestic
economy, let him fall out and an
other take his place who can.
Thus speak of the great propo-
sition affecting the greatest staple
on earth, and ten immense states
of this Union with $4,000, 600 of
people.
That individual growers on 90
or 100 acres should devote more
acres to crop which they consume
would have to buy If not raised, and
and thus reduce their acreage, do
not deny, rather affirm as neces-
sary, if they expect to keep in the
business.
That is a personal individual
proposition and local in its applca-
ton. But the grand proposition,
one of universal effect upon grow
er. spinner and consumer through
out the world, is not to 10 ration
ally entertained for moment.
Reduction PER Sc will not be at
tempted by the cotton growers OF