The Forrest City times., 1901-06-07
FARMER ANDPLANTER.
THE COTTON OUTLOOK.
Crops Have Had start and
Full Yields Not Expected.

This spring, the weather has been
unusual. Cold and wet have retard-
ed development of plant life. Ger
mination of seed has been interfered
with. BAD stands result. In MANY
cases young corn and cotton have
been killed and replanting has been
necessary. This of itself is very dis.
couraging. Labor has been lost, ex-
pense has increased. The crop will
cost more. And the yield will be
less. The farmer feels discouraged
and goes at his work disheartened.
His ardor has been chilled. His
blood flows at a slower pace.
He needs encouragement, inspira-
ton, help, cheer. All these would
prepare him for the battle with adj
versity. But he gets none of these.
He meets just the opposite.
Because he prepared better and de-
cided to fertilize better, both of these
are used against him. The cry is
raised that a greatly increased acre
age is being planted and the price is
lowered in advance. When the I'M
timely frost cuts off the growing
prospects, prophets arise here and
there and forecast that a replanted
crop still has time to make full
yield.
Instead of advancing the price be-
cause of the damage, as would be
natural, the very opposite is done.
Prices go down. At the same time
the farmer is compelled to pay exhor-
bitant prices for seed with which TO
replant.
We say that in GO years the his
tory of farming does not Justify these
predictions. When frost has killed
the peaches we have not had a full
peach crop to follow. On the con-
trary those left have continued to
fall until very few have ripened and
those have not been first quality.
When frost has killed the wheat
and oats the grain crop has been a
failure. When frost has killed corn
and cotton, these crops have been
cut short. There may have been in
dividual exceptions, but a short crop
has been the rule. If it is vet time
enough to recover and make full
crops, then we are very silly set 20
plant earlier every year. We could
save great expense if it was safe to
plant so late. The crops would not
cost near SO much if we could plant
in May instead of March and April.
We unhe sitatingly say that so far
the spring has been unfavorable
That the crops have a bad start
That these facts do not justify the
expectation of full yields.
PROVIDENCE.
We do not forget that providence
may so over-rule as to cause a good
crop year. but we say it is presuming
upon providence to count upon it,
Particularly is this true when we go
so far as to discount the selling price
of present and future cotton upon
the strength of such calculation.
We do not wish to discourage any
one. We prefer tic do exactly the
opposite. We desire to urge in
creased diligence and extra effort on
the part of every farmer. Let every
man do all he can to succeed in spite
of these drawbacks.
We can not join the director of the
Georgia experiment station, in his
views and assertions that no real
damage has been done. We think
very great damage has come. Thai
the late cold spring and the continued
winds and rains have already cost the
farmers thousands of dollars, and
will yet add greatly to the expense
of making this years crop. We are
decidedly of the opinion that the
prospect for a large crop of cotton is
very poor. We suggest that it would
be wise for many farmers to cross
replanted cotton fields and those with
poor stand, with corn, rows every ten
or twelve feet. A short cotton crop
may not be bad thing, but short
corn supply would be a calamity.
1t would be real economy to har-
row down many fields with poor
stands and smooth the surface for
hay crop.
This would tighten the expense of
making the crop and at same time
increase the income. The hay viii
cost only the cutting and marketing
about So per ton. The yield per
acre viii be IN many cases more Tor
the hay than for the cotton.
While it is possible to secure fair
yield by extra good work, the aver
age tenant and colored farmers will
rot do this extra work.
We advise our farmer friends TO
bend their energies to making every
kind of supply crop so as to be in
condition to do as. they please with
the cotton they may make.
This is a very important point, all
important if you wish to get the full
benefit of your la bor.-Southern Cu.-