Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1900-03-23
SOUTHERN development

In whatever direction one may turn ID Tue
South he Is likely to find manifestations o.
spirit Of optimism resting upon suossan.ia'
foundation. Through the Piedmont sec'ion
new cotton mills are rising here and tnere,
and established ones are preparing 10 Gu
large their operations, while mill-building
enterprises are likewise advancing through
the Mississippi Valley into Texas as pros
pect for a larger and larger demand III .no
east for Southern-made goods widens' Inc
past week has been notable for announce,
ments Of this kind. In the Manufacturers
Record are noted the determination 10 erec.
5000, coo plant Of Is, 900 spindles and aoout
$50 looms for the production OF print ciotns
at Aiken, S. c., plans for s400, 600 mill near
Columbus. Ga. with 10000 spindles ana
proportionate number of looms as an addi-
tion to the enterprises of the Bibo MANUAL
turing Company Of Macon. Ca, Tor Sioo,.
900 mill ut Gosdsboro. n. c., Tor Szv:ooo
knitting mill ut vaIdosta, Ga, the orgnnlza-
ton of the Yazoo Cotton Mil at fazoo City,
Miss. OF 800, 900 cotton company az has
ca. Texas and 100000 mill ut HARTMAN
Tenn. The T. W. Poe Manufacturing oom-
pany OF Greenville, s. c.. has decioeu w
spend neatly $780, 900 in additions 10 .S
plant, while the capital stock has been SUD-
scrbed for a 100000 plant at Corsicana,
Texas. Side by side with plans for the tuii
development of the iron resources OF Ana
bama, Tennessee Virginia and West virginia
nre those for the extension and improve
ment Of the railroads really confined TO 10
one section of the South. The lumber inter-
ests from the Carolinas to Texas are IN u
nourishlng condition, while the healthy tone
everywhere is reinforced by activities IN inc
oil fields, the phosphate mines and o1ner III
dustries which supply the material Tor man
ufactures. The persistent strength OF tne
cotton market. which at present seems de-
stined to be maintained at least until tno
movement Of the next crop Is well under
way. is in itself promise OF vigor for sew
eral months In many lines OF trade In the
South.
Growing out of this strength is a tendency
on the part Of somo cotton growers to con-
slider favorably plans for selling in advance
the crop which they expect to raise TINS sea-
son. This tendency has assumed one or TWO
forms. Regarding the proposition that
| Southern farmers should sell on basis Oh
New York futures for September and Octo-
| Der delivery their crops OF cotton not yet
| planted. Col. A. B. shepperson OF New YORK
| writes in this weeks Manufacturing RECORD
| as follows:
''No farmer could sell his crop on the basis
| OF prices for September and October deliV-
| cry unless he agreed to deliver 1t during these
months. He could deliver only small pro-
| portion OF his crop by that time, ns picking
usually goes on until December and some
| times much later He could only sell Win
safety for delivery In November and Deem
| Der. and New York futures for these months
| are nearly half O cent lower than for Sep
| TENDER delivery. The present price Tor NO
vember delivery would leave the farmer,
after paying freight, commissions and other
| charges. about seven cents per pound for
| midding cotton. This should not be re-
garded very tempting price, since 1t has
been exceeded during every calendar yoat
with only one exception since 1896
| "Should the farmer fell now for delivery
| next fall or winter and prices before then
should advance from any reason, he would
have to make deposit OF money equal to
| the advance md the raising OK this money
| might prove inconyenient and expensive.
| II the farmer should soil more than his crop
| turned out to he, he would thon have to buy
| OF bis neighbor to make up the quantity. liz
| the event OF higher prices ruling Mt that time
than he had sold at, ne might .lns suffer q
| considerable loss, besides having to part With
| NIL Of his own crop at o lower price than ais
| neighbors were receiving.
III. from the condition OF his crop late in
| the summer the farmer should feel reason
abIy confident O; making 200 bales OF cotton
it would be wise, perhaps, to sell 1t0 bales
for November or December delivery against
his crop II the price was satisfactory. This
would be safe and perfectly legitimate, and
is frequently done through southern factors
''The old adage that shoemaker should
stick to his last" though very homely, Il
| nevertheless true In general way the ex
ceptions but serving to prove the rule. A
farmer should no! try TO be n Spectator
His training. his environment and his faci
tiles are al against his success and handi
cap him In the struggle with men OF keenel
wits. greater opportunities and less innate
honesty.
Let tho farmer use better and more scien
tidc methods, studying closely the needs
his soil so as to get the greatest yield at thu
least cost OF production. Let him buy noth
ing which can be produced at home.
"Their careful cultivation and the proper
selection and moro liberal use Of fertilizer
would give far better results to the cotton
growers than the large increase In acreag'
which is now so generally expected"