Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-05-15
LESS ACREAGE,
Southern Planters TO
Profit by Experience.
Recall Heavy Production and
Low Prices Of I898-!899.
Many Agents in the Cotton Belt Making
Investigations.

Washington. May 1.-THE acreage
planted in cotton in The s;O..th"rn STATE;
this spring is a subject of more than
speculative int rest. ,'nttur is perhaps
the most generally used of all the crops
raised in this country. Not only tn
United States. but every foreign coun-
II" which is al al advanced in civi.iz-
alton makes extensive use of the staple.
Two years ago, when SuIIy. Brown
and other bull spccuiltDrs carried cot
ton prices up to levels practically UNI
known since the civil War period. al,
additional Impetus wa given to cotton
%!oWih%. ard there was Il material in
crease in acreage tn" following season.
While prices wcr at their highest levels
ne newspapers of the South urged
IA" planters To refrain from Gcvotinr
100 much land to tie STABLE. They
pointed to the lesson taught by the
situation which hal arisen seven wears
ago AS Il result OF al unusually heavy
PRODUCTION of cotton in 1898 and 1899 for
l was Then the crop reached consider
iHiH more than eleven million bales. as
compared with G,ItM0 in 1887. ,:riras
A''tI Down To six ans; FIVE cents and
'h"r" Wcr" widespread losses among
cot'oi. growers ana handlers in consc-
uucncc. Desiring to avoid a repetitio,
~ thiS unfortunate experience, all those
interested in the wnlfare OF the South-
which. in this particular instance
means also, to Il great extent. tho VOL
iarc or IN" whole coiIn;ry--(lid cvnrv-
thing in their power to prevent any ma
t"i1hl increase in acreage.
II was case Of loves labor los,
each farmer appears to havo decided
that he. Individually. would be the only
on" I" pa in Il la"g" acreage. The gen
RAJ i'"h, apparently. was that the adj
vic" whit h was thor so much in owl
!cnce would hr followed. hrn,dIv
'n"aEinC. and it seemed to he a wig,,
'nl;9G. doubtless, to each individual. tn
niant IL" largest rossih'" amount 0r IN.
staple and thus ""t tn" ,1,:.xinlu,n al
Vant:'"" fT"'1 the ti.:i prices vhi.:,
were expected to continue indcGnitclt-
IN ip"cc:nhrI NJ lr=t Yea" statiStici1n
:'F"' -! III" Dcp"rtmrnt nf Agriculture
'S%u"l his rrgnlHr estimate of The size
al ~" crop. and. as his figures v-c-.r.
'"2't"' !af~"r than had ever before,
h"''n Fn""n in III" history of The stap,c
prices wont tt.nr'inr .lrl continued
y" T"'lin" for so'nr t;m". Mr. Hyd..
WtS YER severely criticised and al
'"lHr;s ""r" mad" to have his office in
Nc*ti"al"d ny Congress- with view "a
i"c"v"ri.r some ;,ns-,rlln error wbic:,
would tend Ia GiS,.r.dit him AMI hi
;7.in"tc. As tir~ w"nt TN. Tho rinninr
'"f'f'| nf IN" census s''litr b"si,lc; woII
differentiated, rcpr.ts from n,iy3tc
source. showed TINT .tr. Hvdc's figures
'"rrF zoo small rattle" than too large
,i'. hNalir. tn" CrDSCS prrrau showed
that the rr";j was a~tualIv 13.1.5 7Sa
'rn"inr bales. or :oirctI,irc like two
'il'ior hIl"S moro thun lad ever been
irrduccd before.
IT VI" while these facts were in pro-
'"*S Of development shat meetings were
IL III III New Orleans and other points i'm
- 1T South for the purn9e, of getting
uInt,rs To agree TO Il radical rccllrctio,
"f a"'t:i"" t;!is year. i'm ;hr hope of re-
'nrir~ III" output an thus getting III,
"'ic oi the commodity W to where II
W"ii''i ciTe the prodi;cpr 4 fair profit.
VI active campaign in favor Of a r.drr.
ti"n Of acreage has been in progress:
''r"r since. and tho whole induStrirI
world is nov Watching to see what its
f%",'t will r.. Th" Governments acre
re" l''""rt will bc issue; from Mr.
aNG.'& Ollie" next ;;1nu,h. md not until
.h"n Will il b" r"r@jbIc 10 say WITH any
1"1'rc~irratiu ion cf .,,.,'.r....y lust what il;
being done.
I'm Ao'hnnra congressman who has been
in Washington for some days past; is :u-
th":ity for the statement that the acreage