The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-12-29
Real Menace in
Cotton Situation
(By Daniel J. Sully.)
Office of Daniel J. Sully 4 90.

New York.
TIE present serious condition in the
- cotton markets of the world and the
danger threatening the textile industry
OF the United states, OF England.
France. Germany, Russia Switzerland
ahd Spaip al be traced u only one
cause.-the sterilization or impoverizh-
ment Of the cotton seed. Serious as IS
the situstiOn today, and high as prices
are. the situation Will be more serious
and the prices higher and higher each
year Enti measures are taken by which
proper SEED san be planted for the
growth OF the cotton crop.
P~aTadoxical as il may seem, the cur
tailB9ent OF the cotton CROP is {. natural
Te9aIt OF the growth Of the cotton seed
industry A quarter Of a century arO
the cotton seed was the banc of the
0rtton planter. He had great difficulty
IN getting rid of his surplus seed. Il
was burned. cast into the rivers. use Z
30 fill guIies and hOlIows and hauled
away at no little expense. But since
the discovery Of the uses Of cotton
seed oil, cotton seed hulIs and cotton
fINA LCd liz dtllldIlU IoT LLl+- sci
has grown to great proportions. Tll.
south Il dotted with cotton SEED oil
mills, and what was once regarded rs
refuse now brings nearly 500, 090, go
n year to the south.
This would be a magnificent asst
were II not for the fact that the OIL
mile demand the heaviest and richest
of the seed, leaving only the poorest
for the planter to put back in the
ground for the planting Of his mex
crop. The ferceness Of competition Is
such and the prices paid for eari ar.
so large that within the last five or six
years the planters have Impoverished
Their seed supply 10 the utmost limit.
Poor seed brings a poor cotton yi-ld.
increased acreage Is no remedy, even
f T. wee possible under present >
ditiOEF to extend the acreage mu IN be
yOnd it's ~arnt limits
T~HTOugGtful men Of the south see no
prospect Of Il change in the immediate
future Surely none can be expected
Is long as the spinners have to scram-
BILE FOR cotton to keep their mills going
and the cotton seed mills pay t~o.,-notc1
prices for their supplies.
The statistics Of the last s'y 81 seven
years snow more c~oucIustveIy tnaH
anything I could say how important "a
part this iLnproyerishmeut ~ uq- cor
ton seed is playing i'm cotton affairs
Sine 1897 the acreage. planted 40 cot
ton AZ the United States has ben ID
"r-aseG from 2l.c1o.Co0 10 approximate
Iv $500. Cyu acres. Yel the yield las
steadily decreased In 1891 tn sout.
r7tse,I il,-.1,o"J bales q cotton on an
1c--a@" Of Il. g,0. 600. This -. n win
- ~ z-rrrr- IF H- .Hs .f-t -. -,v-.r-
tu,ut's --tiuuate is g.2G2. oJr O.Ins. Take
the average yield an asr- ven by yer
and the deterioration is shown more
~coEvluclUgIy.
Ia iN5I-gS the ycli of lint per acre
plantei was pa pounds. in 1889. it
was 232; in IS99-Oo. Pa. in $4,000. 211;
IN l90l-02, ISIS. in 19O2-02. 1S>. IN 10000
government estimate). 176.
But even these figures IL uDL show
n real Decrease in the yield per acre.
la 1897 and 1898 cotton was extremely
chep. and what represented hundreds
thousands Of Gales of Int were left
unplcked in the field. because tire plant
eTs did not think it would pay for the
picking This season. however, there
isn't a cotton plant in The south that
been picked Of every ELInce OF
ITS product.
The world absolutely requires 10. 700
900 bales of cotton this season. It could
use 12. COO. 600 bales and there would be
no surplus.
Cotton Is the most valuable money
crop OF the world today. 1t is used
IN more Of the worlds staples than any !
other of the earth'S products. It's uses !
constantly widening. ana yet We
face to face with the condition of
a constantly shortening 1t is idle
to charge the big advance in prices TO
manipulation Of the market. to weather
in the cotton belt. to lack of
moisture. Iateness Of planting or to
an, other of The stock causes. Every
student OF the cotton world who sives
serious consideration I the subject viii
come back To thu basic trouble of the
Impove~ishmeut Of the seed.
This subject is OF far greater impor-
-ance than the average man realizes.
Il is of as great Importance To the
north as 10 the south. rot only be ause
n the manufacturing industries " the
north that ar dependent upon the Of
ION crop. but bocluse every body wears
goods and because the FINN
al world depends upon The cotton
.rCp to maintain the financial panty
,-tween this country ana Europe.
our cotton the money mark2-
u the United states would be- in a sal
say. Cotton bills are payable in gold.
it is through the payment for cot
exported to Europe tha1 We main
CIR god balance with the rest - !,
n world. i
Tnu cannot o for any change in :,
south until the danger from the I
mpov-cishment of the cotton SEED ~
home to the planter. At pres
mt ne Is blind t. this mcnace. Tn /,
crop will bring % him at Ials, |