Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1905-01-11
REDUCE THE ACREAGE.


the stringency of the cotton market.
The farmers are holding their cotton
with a greater unanimity than ever be-
fore, and If it can be kept up a victory
in the matter of price is sure to be won
by the producer. In tho light of the
past seasons experience, now is the pro-
per time to "hedge" against condition
that will bring about similar result for
the crop of 1905. There is no better way of
doing this than by = Systematic and gene
raj reduction of acreage for cotton and
an increased acreage for corn or other
products. This, as we see it, is the sole
salvation for tho cotton grower this year.
The various authorities and interests
differ in their estimates of the surplus of
the 1904 crop, estimates ranging from
100000 to 2, 500, 900 more than is actually
needed to supply the demands of trade
and manufacture. But the fact that
there is a surplus, and heavy one, is adj
mitted on all sides. 1t seems to us,
therefore, that the thing to do is to cut
the cotton acreage and devote part of
last years cotton land to other products.
large corporations for assistance to tho
farmers in bringing about such re-
suit, as we'll as encouraging the holding
of cotton. The Virginia Carolua Chemi-
cal Company, of Richmond, Va, has re-
Gently issued a circular to it's division
sales agencies, as follows:
Any farmer or merchants who may be
n vnl II IuiSt Il 4
cotton which he desires to hold, you are
at liberty to extend his note for six
months, from January |, with int orest at
the raLe of per cent per aunum, pro.
vded he will deposit sufficient cotton to
pay the note in any reliable warehouse,
and will turn over to you warehouse re-
ceipts for same. You are authorized to
pay the insurance on said cotton and
make no charge against your customer
for this item.
We do not pretend to offer advice to
our customers to hold cotton but we do
Intend to offer them every facility and
accommodation in our power to hold
their cotton, If in their good Judgment,
1T is best. Whatever inures to the bene-
fit of the agricultural classes in the
South is to our benefit; our interest is
identical with theirs. We are more
closely and intimately connected with
the cotton grower of the South than any
dozen other concerns combined They
are our customers in the purchase of fer
tilizers and we are their customers i'm |
the purchase of cotton seed. We both
sell and buy of them and deal in every
cotton growing county from Texas to
Virginia. Therefore anything that will
improve the agricultural conditions or
help the farmer must necessarily benefit |
ns, and If holding their cotton will be a |
benefit to them ii is our desire to aid |
them in this as far as we can.
Other farm products, aside from cotton, |
appear to us to be selling at very full |
values, and we bolievo it would be wise |
ln the farmers to soil any of their other |
surplus farm products, which would ma
terially aid them in holding their cotton.
We also are of the opinion that the
acreage last year devoted to cotton was
too large, and that it never could have
been cultivated in normal season The
good weather during the spring enabled |
the farmers to cultivate every acre they
planted; consequently the tremendous
big crop Of this year. AS ordinarily it
would be impossible to cultivate such an
enormous acreage, we believe it would
hG wise III them this year to materially
decrease it, If it was decreased 10 per
cent it would mean a reduction of more
than million bales next year, oven if |
tho crop yielded as much per acre as it
did In 1901.
1t strikes us that what the farmer
wants is to make his cotton at the lowest
possible cost. The profit derived from
growing cotton is not so much the price
OF cotton as the cost at which the crop
Aas been grown. Mules and horses are
high-much higher than few years ago;
the price of farm labor is high and
scarce Therefore, every acre cultivated
means large expenditure. 1t costs more
10 cultivate an acre of land growing
a quarter of a bale of cotton than one
growing bale J.: '.!o latter instance
the plant soon grows up and shades the
tand and consequently the grass does not
grow SO rapid or luxuriantly.
The cheapest item that can be used in
Che production OF cotton is commercial
fertilizers, used literally. With liberal
application of fcrtillzors the farmer can
crow bale of cotton whore he has here.
EotOrc grown half bale and do it with
the same cost of mules and labor, and
Ehe additional quantity of seed will
more than pay for the extra amount of |
%ertilzers used
The South must continue to produce
n round eleven million bales of cotton.
or they Will find in year or two the bal
'anco OF the world competing with them
1n grow ng this staple, and our foreign
market largely supplied from sources
shat now produce but limited quantity. |
This, of course, is tho advice of an in
terested party-the manufacturer of com.
nercial fertilizers; yet it seems to us far |
and plain. However the farmer may
Se [Ecliued to look upon the prop.
Sition TO store cotton as security |
for carrying a debt, tho advice in
regard to reduction of acreage is
- sound, thoroughly logical and, in