The age-herald., 1900-02-11

short of the demand, what but higher prices could reasonably be expected as soon as foreign buyers got their transat- lantic eyes open. Every part of the cotton belt shows shortage. The gulf states and the Atlantic states each as short as Texas is. All three divisions show heavy decreases, the aggregate on February 1 be- ing 2,0A,O94 bales below the crop of the previous year.
 Another drought in August would create a worlds famine. and as such a contin- gehcy is altogether possible the price is affected by it. The foreign spinner is now buying the tail end of a short crop with such possibility staring him in the face, and he does not like the situation. He has been buncoed by MT. Neill, and is inclined ot be grumpy. Bui. as he must have raw cotton, he buys, and says nothing. MT. Neill will. if he is wise keep out of his way next fall.
 (, No ore knows what the next crop will be, but 1t will not be over large, if farm CTS are prudent, for labor will cost 12 per cent more; mules are higher, and so are blows and agricultural implements; and fertilizers are 25 per cert higher The farm CT who makes an all-cotton crop under such prices IS certainly taking some chances. The chances are that the world would take 1000, GOO bale crop at cents but 12,O00000 crop, which could be made on the present acreage under favorable con- d:tions, would demoralize and depress pftces to the 5-cent point
 The difference between cents at which the first portion of the present crop was moved, and cents, at which the tail end of it Is selling now, is a difference that Is felt In every southern househo.d-a. differ ence that gladdens or saddens millions of lives in the nine or ten distinctively cotton states-a difference that has untold priva- ton in 1t on the one hand O. much con- n1 frpa arE md hon 1ixrine Ht is Sl5 bale, but to the producer it is more than all the other dollars of bale be- cause it is clear money which can be turned into the necessities and some of the luxuries of life.
 The needs of a particular producer cannot well be defined. He may have pressing doo.cT's bill, CT interest bill, or store bill, and he pitches crop, hoping to meet 1t. But the crop as a whole can easily be de- fined. A 5000, 900 bale crop Is now minimum and a 100000 bale is maximum. The pres e1t acreage calls for the one the other, or something between. A 9,0000 900 bale crop would bring cents, or $40 a bale-$360 00O,- 900 all told. A 10,0O0,00O bale crop would bring cents, or $35 bale-$350 900, 900 all told. 100000 bale crop would bring 6 cents, or 80 bale-$33O, ,OOO,OO0 all told. A R.OO0,O00 bale crop would bring cents, or $25 bale-$3OO. .000, 900 all told. The more cot ton the less money. The expense is just about the same in labor. in fertilizers, in all except picking. the difference in pro- duction being due to weather conditions. Two good rains throughout the cotton belt in August last year, for example. would have changed a 5000 OO0 into 12OOO, 900 bale orop Who then shall say what the average cotton farmer should do, except this, he should make cotton a cash and surplus crop. and the farmer who is in debt and under pressure cannot always do this. There is, therefore, no rule, no moral, to be drawn from this article. and this may after all be its only good feature