Oxford eagle., 1904-06-30
FARMER AND PLANTER.
THE PRESENT COTTON CROP.
With Caution the Advice Of
Interested Parties.


Interested Parties.
The fnaIciers seem to be greatly
troubled about the present cotton crop.
AS consequence thereof, the farmers
are getting vast amount OF gratuitous
advice. Ali these different classes OF
men Who are interested in the hand
ling. manufacturing and consumption
of cotton seem to be greatly interested
in advising the farmers. Strange to
say, they seem to feel themselves per-
fectly competent TO advise them. But
a little close observation shows that
each one of them advises To the inter-
ests of the class to which he belongs
and all of them to the injury of the
farmer. The buying class naturally
want cotton to sell cheap, as it gives
them a better chance to speculate in
prices. The manufacturing class want
cotton TO sell cheap, because it enables
them 70 make larger margins of profit
The consumers want cotton to sell
cheap, because it enables them to buy
goods cheaper Hence all of these unite
in hue and cry. urging the farmer to
make every effort to increase the pro-
duction of cotton.
1t is wcrderful how much interest
these parties seem to feel in the well.
fare of the Indian the Egyptian, the
African and the German, and fear that
the American farmer, in looking after
his own interests, will fail to look after
the interests of all these other nations.
They would greatly prefer to see the
toiling southern farmer straining his
credit and his strength in the effort to
cultivate two of three millions of extra
acres of cotton and producing two or
three million extra bales and selling
the entire output at 10 or IL cents, and
thereby making about nothing as clear
profit, rather than see him with COM
parative ease and comfort to himself
cultivate the usual amount and produce
the usual 100000 or II 900, 900 bales
and sell it, as they claim, at Is or 20
cents.
uty SttDi W no uttClly LUMINOUS VI
the fact that the $500, 900 or $780,
600, 900 extra which the small crop
would bring to the south and distribute
among the farmers and through them
would produce such state of business
activity and prosperity as was never
known in the south before. In other
words they ask every farmer to prefer
to raise twelve bales of cotton to the
horse and sell it at 10 cents, rather
than produce ten bales and sell it at 1S
cents. They do not seem TO care what
becomes of the farmer in all this great
battle in the financial world. They
brazenly ask him to forego bis own iR-
tereSts, to work to his own injury, to
plant, produce and gather an extra
large crop, simply and solely for the
benefit of spectators, manufacturers
and foreigners
This whole line of argument i'm
presses us as supremely silly. We
hope the southern farmers will have
more sense than to follow any such ad-
vice. We hope they will look to their
own interest, and make every effort to
produce only medium crop of cotton.
Although the cotton crop is about all
planted, and the acreage, large or
small. IS now about settled fact, yet
il is not too late for the farmers to con-
slider this question.
1t will pay to run row every twelve
e. ron q M
plant it in corn. BY planting any Of
the early varieties, they can yet have
time to make good corn planted In this
way. Corn raised in this way will
cost nothing except planting and gath
ering, for it will be cultivated in culti-
waiting the cotton. You can thus add
ten or twelve bushels to the acre to the
corn crop, and cut down the cotton crop
very little.
There seems to be concerted effort
ties to depress the price of cotton. And
they go SO far as to persuade the farm
er to sell his cotton now for fall de-
livery This is a suicidal policy, and
can result in injury to no. one except
the farmer. A few things seem to be
practically certain. There is poor
stand of cotton, except in parts of
I. Texas There is poor supply of la
Dor, and the grass is already making
headway in large part of Texas. The
long protracted winter, and the few
warm nights that we have had have
hindered the termination and growth
of cotton generally. The acreage is not
sufficiently increased to overcome these
injuries. There is no outlook at pres
ent for a bumper crop!" But whether
the crop be large or small, it is clearly
to the farmers interest to make his
arrangements to sell slow next fall
Nothing can greatly depress the price,
except mad rush to sell. If the cotton
be sure to be maintained throughout
the entire season. There is a short
supply on hand among the manufacture
ers, and they can not get on hand a
full supply before Decembe., OF Janu-
ary Hence it is the interest in every
way of the southern cotton producer to
prepare himself to market his cotton
slowly next fall. Do not suffer the
cries of spectators to frighten you in
to a foolish act to your own undoing.
Let futures severely alone, and sell the
spots slowly, and you will insure tide
of prosperity such as the south has
never seen.-Southern Cultivator.
SHOULD GROW MORE RYE.