Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1903-05-28
EARMERAND PLANTER
THE SOUTHERN STAPLE.
Some suggestions for Improves
Methods of Marketing the Cot
' ton Crop of the south.

1t is nv desire in this brief article
to pres emit, in outline only, an idea
relative to an improvement upon the
present method of marketing
staple crop.
/ am only a one-horse cotton-grow-
er myself, so it is my hopes that what
l have to say upon this i may
reach some deep thinking and inhu-
entail planter who may think it prac-
tieabIe- In this efforts, / am actua sed
only bv a feeling of deep interest IN
the welfare of our southland, and IN
the success of my neighbors n
more especially of my boys, for whom
! have no higher ambition than that
tbey became successful tillers of the
soil.
The crying need of the farmers to-
dav is cooperation. 1t is the watch
word to success. This is an age OF
cooperation; every profession, every
line of business has its organization
for mutual protection, with one eN-
cention. The farmers alone stand
unu1,ited and therefore weak, 1or IN
ufsit, there is strength"
Z, is a natural law for the strong to
nrer upon the weak, and this IS no
more forcibly illustrated than in the
case of the cotton Spectator and
simmer versus the farmer. The cot
ton spSnners have their organizations
for self protection. That they
make the farmer their victim is u
natural and not to be censured-
Now. II contend that the farmers
should so strengthen themselves mat
they can price their cotton just as the
s~pinners are able to put their prices
upon the finished products. L sug-
gest that the larger farmers 4
(those growing not less than a hun
dred bales under their supervisory
form themselves into a corporation,
and have one organization in each
county in all the principal cotton
states. Let these separate organlza-
tions merge into one, with headquar-
ters at some central point Cor Illus
t~ration, say Memphis); and each
county organization operate a stor-
age warehouse in charge of a cont
neTenI CIdSStI. Leu So%
classed when Offered for storage, ana
a certificate issued giving the weight
and grade of cotton, this certificate
TO be negotiable. To illustrate, sup
pose John Smith has deposited one
bale of cotton weighting five hundred
pounds. grade middling. When TINS
cotton is sold to spinners, he Will be
credited with the net proceeds. On
presentation of certificate, if it has
been transferred to another, the
amount inserted in the blank for that
purpose will be paid the bearer. Ii
there is a balance this goes to John
Smith. the original owner of the bale
of cotton.
The home office of the corporation
will publish weekly what each grade
of cotton is worth. The spinners will
know what the raw material will
cost. without sending their army OF
BUYERS into the rural districts to
scour the country for same. This
process. it seems to me, would facili-
tate the purchasing of the raw ma
terial by spinners and be an improve
ment upon the present mode of mar
keting the crop.
| feel that l have not been able in
this limited space to express my
ideas clearly, but / respectfully sub
init them for what they are worth to
the readers.-S. r. Baldwin, in South
ern Cultivator.