The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-01-15

u
AT what time in the history OF the
Union, indeed of the whole world. has
the situation as to single staple croI
OF any section Of any country aroused
so deep, widespread ana continuing
an interest rs the American cotton
CROP In large measure, cotton is
the crop OF a. great section OF This
country. but cotton, as Hon. Jafnes III.
Hammond, former Governor of Sonth
Carnlina, declared in his place III the
United States Senate quite half GEN.
tury ago, is King.
Passing from the controversy
whether the crcp of I9C4-'15 will prove
TO be less or greater than 12,00O,o0e
tales the world is intent on two in
I,ii1es:
/. Will Southern planters as one
man, adhere to a refusal to sell spo1
cotton now on hand, till prices adj
vance tn the normal figure?
2. VIII cotton producers agree TO
reduce the acreage for 1505-'0o twen-i
tv-five per cent. and then religiously
observe such agreement?
The bears will do all in their power
to defeat the proposition which looks
10 sharp reduction IN cotton acreage
OH every little farm and big plantation.
They will labor INCREASINGLY and lnsid-
iousy to influence breaks all alcng the
line, the moment the farmers agree 10
reduce the acreage and adopt other
mea sures which viii restrict the crop
of 1905-'06 To limit within the H.
600, 600 figure.
These two facts every Southern
farmer, every producer of cotton IN
this country, whether he makes eight
bales or 500 bales, should keep con-
stantly before him.
Write the two propositions, sovital
.ax~fx- n eli n
and paste in your hat.
Il will hold all the spot cotton /
have until prices return to the normal
ngure.''
II viii cut the acreage I had in cot
ten last year full twenty-five per cent.
Then let 1t be remembered that the
farmer who breaks away from these
rules will do SO to his own hurt an6
to the injury of his fellows
In discussing the essentials to good
year in cotton for the present season
and for future seasons, it is Being Wig
orously urged that there should be
reduction in the use of fertilizers 20
To- 80 per cent as we'll as reduction
III acreage.
In & previous article on the Crop
fer 1866, l declared | thought the|
suggestion as To fertilizers nnwise
The more l study the proposition. the
lriore thoroughly convinced 20 | be-
ccine that such course would be eX-
trenely unwise.
Men do not plant cotton ard toll
with il the year round for fun. Tx
pDrienced farmers. who keep close
record of their farming operations
tell us that it costs from Z cents TO
S cents pound to raise cotton. This
beng true rs a whole, or true in part
a first consideration with every farm
e.. should be to adopt and cling to a
method in cotton growing that WI
reduce the cost of production. rms
is lust as necessary as reduction IN
acreage How can the cost OF produc-
ton be essened--appreciabiy lessen
ed? BY increasing the yield per acre
This desirable result cannot be ac-
compiished except by liberal and In
tolligent use of fertilizers per acre.
SO much for that branch Of the
subject in a general way. | shall re-
turn TO it before l close this article.
for it is a matter of vast importance
to our people.
Here is an item which has been
lost sight OF IN the discussion of the
pending, all absorbing question.
The first step that should be taken.
locking to q crop which shall be With
i'm the 100000 900 mark, must be TO
make a positive reduction il the num-
Der of mules assigned to the Gotten
acreage the current year. The abb
sence of the mule is absolutely neces-
Sary to cotton crop within the TO-
coo, 900 mark.
Had you thought Of that?
In The spring of 1895, following the
bitter days of cent cotton in 1894,
was talking with the lamented Capt.
=. y. Neal, of Atlanta. on cotton pros
poets. He said he regarded the out
look for cotton for '35 exceedingly
bright.
ION what dc you base your hopes?"
/ asked.
lie replied: LAS a rule 10000 mules
are sold in Atlanta annually. This
wear so, 900 were sold A mule stands
for bales of cotton. tbs r1eans
that the Georgia crop will be about
2iO,OQC bales less this year than last
Georgia sets the pace for the other
cotton States. You will see reduced
acreage and a smaller and more re-
nunerative crop for the season or
IS95-'96.",
Here we have lamp of experience
trimmed and burning brilliantly--a
very beacon light.
\ The record of actual acreage and
crops for 1894 and 1895 shows:
St That Georgia reduced her pur-
chases of mules in .S95-33.5 per cent.
md She reduced her cotton acre
age 17.6 per cent.
3rd. She used more fertilizers APP
Yiying them TO all crops, by 49, per
cent.
L. She increased her general average
weld per acre over the entire state,
flom 33-fU0 to S6-100 bales.
9Th She produced 1900, coo bush
els of corn: 100000 bushels 1f
wheat: 100000 bushels Of oats and
24O. 900 tons of hay. Besides these she
had quite 2,G0s,000 hogs. These home
supplies aggregated in farm value
s36 900. 900.
9th. Her cotton crop, 221 900 bales
less than the crop oil "a. vas distinct
raoney crop. In ga her cotton had
farm value December 1st Of f.t cents;
i'm 1895 IS cents a pound.
Note: The other seven strictly cot
ton states having reduced their cotton
acreage Is per cent in 80, made 22o
million bushels com; 100000 bush
els wheat: 42.500, 900 bushels oats and
1;700, 900 tons of hay.
What stronger or more PfdcuCal
presentation could be made titan the
Georgia plan above itemiZed?
Boiled down, the Georgia plan for
I9O5-'6 equally ADAPTED to each OF