Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1904-12-12
HIS LETTER TO THE FARMERS

f. D. Russell of this city, special
agent of the department OF the cen
sus. is sending out circular letter
regarding the ginners report and its
effect on the price Of cotton in the
south that will be read with interest
by the farmers and planters all over
the south. Mr.. Russell is a man of
much experience in handling the cot
ten crop and getting UP the reports
from the various gins in Arkansas,
and he thinks that the next ginnerse
report will show that the government
estimate of 2,162, 900 bales is far in
excess of the actual crop. The cir
cular is as follows:
Dear Sir-I have heard with con
siderable regret numerous complaints
from ginners regarding the presen
manner of issuing the ginners report
and in some instances the ginners
have gone so far as to say that in
the future they would refuse to make
ssn-v report whatsoever of the opera.
tors Of their gins.
| desire to call your attention to
the fact that the ginners' report was
not the cause of the disastrous de.
cline in the price Of cotton. | say
this for the reason that the ginners
report up to November II showed
,I,nt of 81 o IL
ned 9,7S6,64G, and while this figure
is in excess Of the number OF bales
ginned up to the same time last year.
it must be borne in mind that the
weather and other conditions have
been more favorable than they were
last season: and furthermore en- ac-
count Of the high price of cotton
\ farmers have been marketing their
crops as eXpeGitiously as possible.
In order to satisfy myself of the real
conditions in regard to the crop, |
have taken the pains to make some
Inquiries as to how much seed cotton
Of the crop of 1904 remained ungin-
ned On November H. nave inter
viewed twenty.three 2inners; nlhe
of them stated there was not per
cent Of the seed cotton unginned on
November a: eight estimated 'hal
there was 10 per cent of the crop uh-
ginned on that date; three estimated
that there was II per cent; one es-
timated ii per cent; and two placed
their estimates as high as 10 PEI
cent All of these ginnerieS are 10
Gated in Jefferson county.
assume that you will conciuae
that the crop of Arkansas IS the
latest by two or three weeks OF tha1
of any state in the cotton peIe, anu
T furthermore assume that you VIII
NOT dispute the statement that 'ehei-
I son county has the latest crop Oh any
county in the state. | shall MAKE ~
attempt to strike an average oi tiie
estimates given above as to the ai-
oi,nod cron on November IA, but TO
he ON the safe side, we viii say 'hd'
there remained unginned on NoNe'''
ebr IA. 10 per cent of the crop VI
. Jefferson county and this figure Is lai
above the average estimated' and
for 8he sake of argument, we VIII
saw that the same conditions preVaii'
ed throughout the cotton belt. Aua
10 per cent to the November glnnerS
report of 9,7S6,646 bales, or 9'S,oo4
bales and you have the total crop o
the 1904 production OF o,'oo,oi"
bales. This seems to me to be a
fair and conservative estimate OF the
& total the final figures will show. al.
though am personally inclined to
believe the figures will fall slightly
under this mark.
On November % the agricultural
department sent out inquiries to farm
ers in the cotton belt requesting an
estimate of the yie,d Of the 1904 crop,
and from the reports received from
the inquiries sent out the department
has compiled a statement showing a
6 crop of 12.162,00o bales. This report,
estimated by the farmers themselves,