The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-06-08
THE PRESENT COTTON CROP.
Southern Cultivator.

THE PRESENT COTTON CROP.
Southern Cultivator.
The financiers seem to be greatly
troubled about the present cotton crop.
AS q consequence thereof, the farmers
are getting vast amount of gratuitous
advice. All 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
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 better chance to speculate in
prices. The manufacturing class want
cotton to sell cheap, because it enables
them to 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 far
mer to make every effort to increase
the productio nof cotton.
| 1t is wonderful how much interest
these parties seem to feel in the well
fare of Indian, the Egyptian, the Afri-
can, 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 Sout bern farmer
straining his credit and his strength
in the effort to cultivate two or three
millions of extra acres of cotton and
producing two or three million extra
bales and selling the entire output at
10 or 12 cents, and thereby making
about nothing as clear profit, rather
than see him with comparative ease
and comfort to himself cultivate the
usual amount and produce the usual
100000 or 1000. 900 bales and sell
1t, as they claim, at Is or 20 cents.
They seem to be utterly oblivious of
the fact that the $500, 100000 or S4OO,-
900, 900 extra which the small crop
would bring to the South and distri-
butte 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 i: at 10 cents,
rather than produce ten bales and sell
it at Is 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
| oxun INT ~ u,orly RI hio nurn IN.
jury. to plant, produce and gather an
extra large crop, simply and solely Tor
the benefit of consumers, manufac-
| turers and foreigners.
This whole line of argument impress
es US as supremely silly. We hope the
Southern farmer will have more sense
than to follow any such advice. We
hope they will look to their own inter.
est, and make every effort to produce
only medium crop of cotton.
| NOT TOO LATE YET.
Although the cotton crop is about all
planted, and the acreage, large or small,
is now about a settled fact, yet it is not
too late for the farmers to consider this
question.
| IL VIII pay " luh q ~" ONSAJ C"Si'
feet directly across the cotton row and
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 gathering
for it will be cultivated in cultivating
the cotton. You can thus add ten OF
twelve bushels to the acre to the corn
crop, and cut down the cotton crop
very little.
. ANOTHER POINT.
There seems to be a concerted effort
on the part of all the above-named
parties to depress the price of cotton.
And they 60 80 far as to persuade the
farmer to sell his cotton now for deliv.
cry. This is suicidal policy, and can
result in injury to no one except the
farmer. A few things seem to be prac-
tically certain. There is poor stand
of cotton except in parts 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 acre
age is not sufficiently increased to over
COIuO VuCSC luJUllCos hCAO 40 LIZ ~
look at present for bumper crop J"
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 de-
press the price, except mad rush to
sell. If the cotton be marketed slowly
, q good price will:be sure to maintain
throughout the entire season. There
is a short supply on hand among the
manufacturers, and they can not get
on hand full supply before December
or January. 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 fright
en- you into foolish act to your OWE
undoing. Let futures severely alone
and sell the spots slowly, and you will
insure tide of prosperity such as the
: South has never seen.
Take Jesus Christ as your partner
and seek his guidance first in al