The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1903-09-30
MARKET The CROP SLOWLY.
Take Advantage of the Cotton
Situation and Protect Your
Own Interests.

for their staple, and the opporture
time has now arrived if proper judg-
ment is exercised in marketing the
present maturing crop. To make a
success of any business, a thorough
knowledge of every department con-
nected with it, and judicious exer-
else of sound judgment must be dis
played. We have now reached the stage
in the worlds production and use of
cotton where the laws of supply and
demand can be fixed and regulated
upon Legitimate basis. We are no
longer faced with an enormous sur
plus as was the case each year until
quite recently, giving the mills and
the spectators an opportunity to de-
press prices by claiming the existence
of heavy stocks On hand.
Since the organization of the South
ern Cotton Growers association in
1900, strong efforts have been put for
ward each year by the members and
officers of the association in each State
looking to the adoption of more syste-
matte and businesslike methods in
selling the crop. The rapidity with
which the great staple crop Of the
South has been rushed on the market
in past years has been ruinous to the
producers. An enormous oversupply
has been created during short period
of time when no legitimate demand
has existed. In the early fall spinners
have been in the habit of buying sup
plies to last for 80 and 60 days only,
after which they retire from the mar
ket and the producers are then left in
the hands of spectators who continue
to buy up the crop, making contracts
with mills for future deliveries as the
staple may be needed for actual con-
sumption. To force the sale of a
twelve months supply of any commod-
ity within the short space of three or
four months will necessarily place the
seller at great disadvantage in the
market.
The great object and purpose of our
association has been to, first, place
into active operation a scheme by
which correct and reliable statistics
could be gathered regarding the yield
of each years crop, and put that in
formation into the hands Of the pro-
ducers, manufacturers, and the legiti-
mate trade as rapidly and as early in
the season as possible. This is now
being perfected through the co-opera-
tion of the United States census and
agricultural department. at Washing
ton, by the reports of ginners on the
one hand, and the reports of fully 90
600 active correspondents through the
other. It may safely be predicted now
that the time is near at hand when
commercial reports, often gotten up
for selfish purposes, will become a
thing of the past, and will exercise
but little or no influence upon the
crop from the standpoint of a statisti-
cal report commanding serious consid-
Grafton.
Our second great aim, equally i'm
portant as the first, is to educate the
producers upon the high Importance
of moving the crop slowly. To market
one tenth of the crop each month, in
stead of one-fourth as has been the
rule in the past. If the growers of
cotton will cooperate to break up the
present bad system by which nearly
one-fourth Of our cotton crop is con-
tracted for in October deliveries,
giant stride in the right direction
will have been gained. The legitimate
market for spot cotton can be and is
easily glutted as with any other farm
product. Two important essentials are
necessary to solution of this prob
lem; make our fall accounts due in
October, third, January. one
third, and the balance April 1st the
following year, then begin to raise
more supplies at home and cut the
strong band of the supply merchant
which dictates the sale of most of the
crop as fast as gathered.
This season the producers occupy
the strongest position in the regula-
tion of prices for the crop which will
soon be ready for market. Supplies
for the raw staple have been more
completely exhausted within the past
year than at any time within the past
four decades. The present high prices
for spot cotton is due to scarcity of
raw cotton, and denial of this fact
cannot be unloaded on the shoulders
of the Brown, Sully "bull'' clique.
The mills have shut down because
they cannot find in tho market such
grades as are fit for spinning purposes.
Stocks are exhausted and the active
operation of spindles ion this country
and in Europe can only be undertaken
after the present crop begins to move
to market. This fact is clearly empha-
sized by the activity of mills ia push
ing their orders for new cotton at
this time. This state of Affairs could
not exist if the mills were shut down
simply because the present prices were
high than usual. These reports are
being sent broadcast over the county
at this time to depress prices and
to enable the mills to get theie sup
plies at greatly reduced prices.
Aside from the exhaustion Of sup
plies, which can be designated better
as cotton famine, the condition of
the present growing crop is not such
nov as to forecast any hope in the
minds of any one that much larger
yield will be made this year than last.
The boil weevil, according to advices
just received, are doing great damage
to the crop in 81 counties through the
middle and southern portions OF Texas,
while the boil worm is ravaging the