The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1904-02-03
SHOULD RAISE GRAIN.

SHOULD RAISE GRAIN.
Our Southern Farmers Should Not
Neglect Foodsturs for Cotton.
Reviewing the general cotton situa-
tion and its possible effect upon grain
production in the south If speculation
becomes too rampant, The Manu-
facturers' Record Of this week says:
AS recently pointed out in The
Manufacturers Record, the produc-
tion of grain in the south last year
was I73, 900, 900 bushels, against 6O7,-
900, 900 bushels in 1902, gain Of 1861
600, 900 bushels. OF this increase
1873, 900, 900 bushels was corn. The
increase in the value OF the three
cereals, corn, wheat and oats, in 1908
was nearly ss5, 1000, 900 over the pre-
ceding year. 1t is important to en-
phasize these facts just at present In
view OF the danger that the high
price of cotton will so concentrate the
attention Of the farmers upon cotton
growing as to cause them to give less
attention to the Importance Of pro-
viding their foodstufs first and max
ing cotton their surplus or money
crop. The present price OF cotton
would in the long run prove a great
injury, rather than a blessing, to the
farmers if it should result in their
giving less attention to the diversified
agricultural development which for
several years has been one Of the most
striking signs Of the material upbuild-
ing Of the south.
Last year the south had about 2S,-
900, 900 acres in cotton, an ample area
under ordinary conditions for the
present. Had the weather been
propitious and the yield per acre equal
to the average Of the two preceding
years, the crop would have been about
ii, 900, 900 bales. Had the yield per
acre been equal to the average for the
three years from l898-99 to ls00-0l
the crop would have been about H.
500, 900 bales, and had it been equal
to the average Of the three years from
1895 SO to 1S97-9S it would have been
13, 900, 900 bales. The shortage in
last years crop was due not to lack Of
acreage, but to the remarkable
weather conditions, beginning in the
spring when continued cold, wet
weather delayed planting throughout
the south for over month. With
%, 900, 900 acres il cotton this year it
is p. ssibie with good weather condi-
tious to produce certainly as high as
-, 900, 900 to l2,500,000 bales, though
there may be some question whether
that amount OF cotton can be picked
with the present labor supply. We
believe that the shortage Of cotton
throughout the world and the increas-
ed consumption make it exceedingly
desirable from every point OF view
that the coming crop should be H.
500, 900 to 10000 900 bales, and that
even at that figure it should command
somewhere in the neighborhood OF 10
cents pound, if not more; but if the
season should open with large In
crease in acreage without regard to
whether it could be properly cultivat-
ed and fully picked there might be
such a combination Of forces as to
beat prices down below fair level.
The Manufactures Record trusts
that the south may never again have
to face such low prices for cotton as
those which prevailed during the Pc
riod of extreme depression from 1891
to 1898. We believe that we have
entered upon a period to run for
sevral years Of as much higher range
Of prices, but to make sure OF this it
is essentially important that the south
should raise it's own foodstufS, that
instead Of lessening its attention to
4 diversified agriculture it should give
still greater attention to corn and
wheat and oats and other foodstuffs,
and that then, and then only, should
it make gradual increase In cotton
acreage sufficient to meet from year t.
year the rapidly-increaSing consump-
tive wants Of the world.
Every man interested In the
south's prosperity, its bankers, its
merchants, it's manufacturers apd its
leading farmers, should press the i'm
portance Of this subject upon the at
tention Of the entire agricultural
community. Instead Of being carried
away by the speculation which is now
sweeping over the cotton world, e1-
ceeding conservatism is demanded
throughout the south. When prices
reach the present level the bulls and
bears may well be left to fight out as
to whether prices will go higher OK
lower. They may go higher, but they
may go lower, and If they ever COM
mence to drop it will likely be very
rapil. The people at large cannot
afford to become involved in Specula-
tive craze. No greater misfortune
could befall this section than wild
speculation in cotton, with the newt
able collapse which would certainly
follow sooner or later. The injury
would not simply be the financial
losses which might come to many
thousands, but such a speculative
craze, whether profitable OF unprohta-
BILE, would disorganize business and
make fox lack Of stability, turning
the attention Of everybody to get
rich.quick' means rather than to the
legitimate business interests OF the
country. The Manufacturers Record
does not undertake to say whether
cotton will 60 higher as to the bull
leaders claim, and claim, we believe,
with thorough sincerity, nor does
it undertake to venture prediction
as to whether prices will go much
lower before the new crop, but 1t
would remind it's readers th a
history repeats itself. Two or
three years ago during the wild spec