The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1901-10-22
TIE COTTON SEED QUESTION.

I.have read with lively interest all
that has been recently published in
your columns in relation to the CON
dition and prospects of the cotton
crop now entering the market-es-
peoially the articles and communi-
cations advocating holding cotton
seed under a demand of % cents per
bushel.
Is stands to reason that any move
ment calculated to arouse farmers
along right lines, will receive the en-
dorsement of well-disposed men in
all the walks of life. 1 say this in
the sense of getting up a revival just
as we do when DESTROYS to make pro-
gress in the strictly industrial world.
Give the farmers more information
and less advice. The healthful and
helpful way in which to proceed is
to get possession of the facts, which
bear upon the interest involved, just
exactly T they are not, for the
sake of the argument, as we would
have them. Sometimes men exag-
gerate as they warm to the subject
they have in hand. Better be con
servative and stick to the facts.
1 think there is more of evil to the
farmers of the South in estimates
than in any other thing. 1t is very
clear that no plan has yet been de
vised by which to determine with
accuracy the cotton crop from year
to year. The National Department
ment of Agriculture has adopted an
idea which was promulgated several
years ago by a Georgia farmer-that
of going to the cotton gins through
out the cotton belt and obtaining as
complete a return as possible of the
number of bales ginned. By and by
this plan will take us a safe distance
from misleading estimates.
1t was estimated that the cotton
crop of 1900 would be much smaller
than that of 1899, yet the record
shows that it was quite eight hun
dred Thousand bales of 500 pound
standard in excess of that crop.
There could not have been more IN
favorable conditions for the crop of
1901 than those with which we are
so familiar. And yet the finer indi-
cations are that the crop will far ex
coed the most conservative esti-
mates.
Necessarily, these facts apply with
equal force to the seed, which,
through the knowledge and the in
dustry of chemists and manUfactur-
ers, have been brought to so high a
standard of value. The seed are
worth only what they will bring.
I grant you that the farmers may
determine for themselves that the
seed are worth % cents per bushel as
against the d cents per bushel now
being paid. Farmers who have no
matured or rapidly maturing obliga
tiOns may hold both cotton and cot.
ton seed for higher prices. This is
business pure and simple for the
buyer is nO6 in the market for either
product when his Judgment suggests
that the price demanded is too high.
1t is at this junCture that the law of
supply and demand asserts itself,
and, in the fulness of time, easily
adjusts the differences which may
exist between seller and buyer.
have seen statements in the pub
lie prints to the effect that a syndi-
cate, meaning fertilizer companies
which use large quantities of cotton
seed meal, have got control of fifty
per cent. of tho cotton seed oil mills
of the country. L looked at once into
this matter, and found that the state.
ment was not supported by the faotss
There are 500 cotton oil mills South.
Of these, the Southern Cotton Oil
Company controls 60; the American
Cotton Company, 40; so that, in
stead of being in possession of so
per cent, of these mills, they have
20 per cent. only.
When 1 noted this fact 1 begun to
inquire what prompted a movement
which had for it's object the control
of SO many oil mills. The reason
was at hadd A mum Der of parties
who made and marketed blood and
tankage in the West, had embarked
in the fertilizer business. Western
packers had advanced the price of
these sources of ammoniates. A
year OF two ago, this advance neces-
STATED an advance in the price of