The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1904-08-26


fire-bllght and some rust; caterpillars
present but have done little damage.
j. W. BAUER,
Section Director, Columbia.
THE PRICE OF COTTON.
Colonel Larry CAN'T Advioes Farm.
ers on tho Subject.
Col. Larry T. CAN'T, in the Spar
tanburR Herald, writes as follows con-
corning the cotton crop and prices:
Nearly every paper pick up not
excepting our own southern journals,
are talking about eight and nine cents
cotton and some predict thst the
ripening crop will only bring seven
cents.
Now Mr.. Editor, such rot as this
fatigues my contempt. Let those cot
ton gamblers and nothern papers
talk eight cents cotton, but our south
ern papers should silence those bears
by talking fifteen cents cotton. l do
assert that there Is now much greater
reason why cotton should sell for tif-
teen cents by January next than there
was this time last year. 1 admit that
there has been a slight increase in
the acreage PLANTED over last season,
but 1t is not near 80 great as esti-
mated. 1 have no idea that the in
crease is five per cent. and this is
more than Overbalanced by scarcity
of hands to cultivate the fields. In
my travels 1 have seen thousands OF
acres OF cotton turned out to grass.
L am not writing from hearsay, but
from personal observations. Within
the last few weeks / have travelled
over greater part Of 10th Georgia
and South Carolina, and paid especial
attention to the cotton crop. Occa-
sionally, like the greater portion of
Spartaphurg, you see narrow belts OF
exceptionally good crops, but then
you travel for fifty miles or more
through territory where the crops
have been ruined from a prolonged
drought. From Oglethorpe county,
Georgia, far below Augusta, q dis
extending clear across the State. they
cannot make as much cotton per acre
as they did last year. Up to about
one month ago they had not q drop
of rain for from eight to ten weeks,
and our farmers know what that
means. Thousands Of acres of corn
refused to even put forth shoots and
were cut down for forage. There is q
narrow strip, five miles brc-d, be-
tween Columbia and Augusta where
they have fairly good crops. But
from Augusta until you get into Lau.
rens county that drought prevails.
1t Is the same way over the eastern
portion Of our States. There are
few narrow strips OF territory where
good crops are seen but taken as as a
whole I do not believe that Georgia
and South Carolina will make as much
cotton as they did last year.
Now, about Texas. Recently have
seen two farmers from that state, and
they tell me that the boil weevil has
appeared there forty billion strong
and that while the loss from this pest
in Texas last year was 800, 900, 900,
that this year 1t will amount to $780,
900, 900 to S4O,O00,OO0. These pests
are appearing in Texas in sections
where never seen before and in a sim
gle day and night they destroy great
fields Of cotton. One farmer had a
ten-acre field that made bale and a
quarter per acre. Some three weeks
ago the Mexican weevil appeared in it,
and in "a hours nearly every square
had fallen and he will offer the entire
field today for one bale. The Texas
cotton crop Is doomed to destruction,
and this means a loss Of nearly mill
lion bales. And not only this, there
Is no old crop to work up. That labor
strike in the New England mills is
all buncombe; Those mills have shut
down simply because they cannot get
cotton to spin and also to try and beat
down the price Of the ripening crop.
The coming season cotton ought not
to sell under ten cents and l believe
1t will go to twelve and one-half cents
or higher. So / say to my farmer
friends, don't get frightened. You
have the long end of the hand-spike
In q short grip and great future de.
mand for the staple, and stand up for
a fair price for your cotton. Last year
l wrote a number OF articles in The
Herald predicting that the cotton
crop would not exceed ten million
bales and the staple ought to bring
at least twelve cents per pound. 1 was
told that was crazy, but 1t transpir-
ed hat was correct. l now predict
thac the growing crop will not exceed
eleven million bales and it ought to
sell for fifteen cents, for the world is
short on cotton and 1t takes thirteen
million bales to supply our mills and
the demand of the world. have these
facts from headquarters and source
that cannot be disputed.
Some one must stand up for our
farmers and protect them from being
wronged and robbed Of their hard
earned profits, and this 1 intend to do
as long as can work typewriter or
raise my voice. left our county cam
paigners for the sole purpose OF sound
Ing note OF warning to our farmers
and letting them know the true sltua-
alton. l shall continue to investigate
the cotton situation and watch the
markets and will then advise our
farmers as to their best interests. I
have never gone back on my people or
deceived them and never will, either.
Don't be bulldozed or frightened into
selling your cotton for less than It's