The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1905-02-14
REDUCE THE ACREAGE.
Il Farmer Appeals to Farmers to
Plant Less Cotton and Raise
More Supplies at Home.

Editor The Herald and News: The
great slump in the cotton market for
the past two months has demoraliz-
ed business OF almost every trade,
and the absorbing question among
the farmers of the southern states
now is, What must we do to be saved
from the hands Of he speculator?
Just one year ago cotton was selling
for 1910. Now it is 7 3-I6. A
bale of cotton weighing $50 pounds a
year ago would have brought $3.50
and now a bale OF the same weight,
with the present price, will bring
Ss2.34. making a reduction in one bale
of cotton in one years time S41.46
Why has there been such a tumble in
the markec as this? The question is
easily answered. 1t is just as plain
as the nose On your face. When cot
ton went to 16 cents per pound the
great surplus had worked off and the
yield OF 1908 had run short; and this
is what makes the price OF any COM
modify advance. But there is no use
to rci.erate this. The farmers all
knew it but they became too enthus-
ed: the glory became too great; all
went to work with a vim and made
the effort of their lives to raise big
crop and get rich and be done with it.
There was more commercial fertilizer
hauled out in the country last spring
than had ever been known before.
So the spectators got the run on US
before the crop was planted. They
base the coming crop largely upon
the amount of fertilizer sold.
Everything was favorable last
spring for the farmers to plant big
cotton crop. The bankers and mer-
chants opened the food gates to cred
it. They said, go ahead. boys, you
will never see 5 cents cotton any
more. So after the good Lord has
blessed the earth she has brought
forth one of the largest cotton crops
that has ever been on record.
So here we are in the ditch again,
holding meetings, calling conventions,
and begging each other to reduce the
acreage of the coming crop. We have
Our future prosperity in our own
hands and can make or mar it.
If we act wisely. we will curtail
the acreage of the present crop at
least rs per cent. and the amount of
commercial fertilizers at least 50 per
cent If this is done we will see our
staple open at 10 cents next fall.
What's the use of planting the whole
earth in cotton when we can receive
just as much for a small crop as a
large one, and the increased grain
crop as a large one grown on
grown on the surplus land will
be clear gain? But if we farmers are
determined not to learn by experience
and go to work this spring and stuff
the earth full of cotton again, each
one expecting to profit on the reduc-
ed acreage of his neighbors, which is
SO often the case, we will again over
stock the market and with the large
surplus already on hand it will be a
hard matter to get even 5 cents for
the staple next fall.
| have no serious objections to Or
ganizations, but it looks SO silly that
intelligent people have to be organiz-
ed for doing what they already know
to be protection to themselves and
families.
Every farmer should solennly OBJ
ligate himself to plant certain num-
Der of acres in cotton to the plow,
and not go furrow in excess, of that
limit. Say twelve acres to the plow.
If this is done the world will see that
Our cotton growers mean business
and there will be scramble next fall
to buy our crop at the highest mar
ket price as soon as it is gathered.
Oh, to God would the time come
when every farmer in the south could
eat bread from his own fields and meat