The progressive farmer and the cotton plant., 1904-11-08

commerce Its condition the thermometer OF trace.
Every man talks cotton; every man has an opin-
ion as to the size of the crops; the weather condi-
tions in Texas and throughout the Cotton Belt are
subjects of general interest; the Government crop
report is read with more interest than anything
else a newspaper prints. Well and truthfully did
Henry Grady say in his now famous tribute to the
cotton plant:
"The world waits in attendance on it's growth
the shower that falls whispering on it's leaves is
heard around the earth; the sun that shines on it
is tempered by the prayers of all the people; the
frost that chills it and the dew that descend from
the stars are noted, and the trespass of a little
worm on it's green leaf is more to England than
! the advance of the Russian army on her Asian
outposts."
When cotton prices drop, every Southern man
feels the blow; when cotton prices advance, every
industry throbs with new vigor.
For her last five crops the South has received
nearly $SOO,0OO,OOO more than for the preceding
five crops-nearly twice as much money as is in
vested in all our American cotton mills. For the
crop of 1908 alone she received 1926, 10000 more
than for the crop of 1S99-which sum, if equally
divided, would give a surplus of 1926 to each of
the 1,41S,OOO farms growing cotton, of $40 each
to every one of the 100000 inhabitants of the
Cotton States.
Small wonder that Southern railways report
heavier increases in earnings than lines in any
other section of the country.
Small wonder that the assessed valuation of
Southern property is now increasing three times
as rapidly as in the decade 1S9O-19OO.
Small wonder that bank deposits in the South
ern States from 1896 to 1903 increased 1913 per
cent while the increase for the rest of the United
wac only 90 nor oopt-oDJ q oro1;,;,or-
statement, dated September z, 1904. which the
Comptroller of the Currency has Just furnished
the writer, shows that the increase during the
twelve months has more than two and one
halt times as rapid in the South as in the rest of
the country.
1t is, in fact, a new South that we have. The
factory, the bank, the church, the school. the
neWspaper-all are benefited by the increase in
prices paid for the South's great stapla cron
lhe architect will tell you that he is building
better houses than ever before; the furniture
dealer Will tell you that he is shipping more fnr-
nlture than ever before; the manufacturer of i'm
PIGMENTS and machinery will acknowledge that
progress astounds him; the schools re-
port record-breaking openings; the newspaper sub
gains seriously threaten to overtaka tho
managers estimates; and even the
JOINS IN with the story that for once his
salary is paid promptly and in full, and that q
sermon on foreign missions is now unprecedent1v
effective.
III cotton stays about 10 cents for the next TON
years. said one of my States most thoughtful
business men to me the other day, "the South will
again become, as it was before the war, the ,ost
section of our country. I know Of M
industry IN the world which will yield larger ro-
turns IN proportion to capital and intenioenoo
required than cotton-growing at 10 cents nor
pound" Pei