The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1905-11-17
BACK FROM TEXAS.
President emith Says the Prospect
Everywhere 10 Encouraging.

President emith Says the Prospect
Everywhere 10 Encouraging.
The Report OF Crop Conditions L.
sued by the Southern Cotton
Association .a yssy
Encouraging,
The Columbia State says Mr.. e. d
Smith, field agent of the Southern
Cotton Association was In Columbia
last week and was elatsd over the
cotton conditions. He said:
Il am just back from a tour of the
West where l have been in the In.
terest OF the Southern Cotton asso.
citation, to meet the executive COM
mittee Of the Texas division. In At.
lanta I was Joined by President Jor.
dan and we together went via Vicks.
burg and Shire veport. This carried
us through Mississippi, Louisiana and
q part Of Texas. Throughout Missis
sippt the cotton crop is certainly as
short or shorter than has been report
cd. Tho frost and worms, 80 far as
our obsei Ation went, have complete.
ly destroyed all prospect of any thing
like a crop from the late cotton or top
crop Of the old cotton.
From Vicksburg to Shreveport,
between which two points is the delta
OF the Mississippi and Red rivers and
unquestionably the finest cotton lands
OF the world. there will not be made
more than 45 to so per cent. of last
years yield. Near Monroe, La, where
is the very cream of the delta, there
Is practically no cotton at all. Thous.
ands of acres have been abandoned
and thousands have been only parti.
ally tended, with a net result that
the Louisiana crop Is practically a
failure.
AT Shreveport, where we missed
connection and had to lie over for six
hours, we had an opportunity OF In
terviewing cotton mon and business
men and they confirmed the impress.
sion that we had received from cur
own observation. From Shreveport to
Dallas we went through q portion of
the best cotton lands Of Texas and
the same condition obtained through.
out this portion of the State. Al
Dallas the State fair was In progress
and representatives Of evey county in
the State, also the members OF the
executive committee, were present.
The facts. as stated by these DIFF
ferent parties, are to the IF ct that
IN the eastern, central n northern
portions OF Texas the crop was from
80 to IS per cent. short Of last year.
In western Texas, where the boil
Weevil Is most numerous, his a
have not been so great this wear as a,
consequence the western Il xas crop
Is as good or better than last year's.
but 1T must be understood that this
means a restricted area and the pro.
duction per acre does not exceed more
than one half crop this yeer as COM
pared With the same territory with
out the ~eevil. l think 1t would be
q conservative estimate to place the
shortage In Texas alone at l 200, 600
bales. From Tt xas we returned via
T%exarkana and Memphis.
This took us through the entire
State Of Arkansas where we had am.
pie opportunity Of seeing the CROP in
That State and practically the same
per cent. Of shortage was evident.
The frost In Arkansas aeems to have
been more destructive than in any
other State with the exception OF
northern Georgia.
From my observation OF the crop
In every State, for 1 hav, visited oil
save Florida, the estimate Issued by
the Southern Cotton ass lciation
making the crop for this year 8, 444,.
600 bales as ginned (Which does not
include of course, linters) Is a coz
~servatiye one.
Certainly we have succeeded at
last In convincing the world of the
shortness OF this crop, hence the price
fixed at Asheville has been reached.
L do not feel that / have the right TO
advise the farmers to hold beyond
this price, but 1t Is my opinion that
we Will see much higher prices in the
immediate future and even though II
cents has been reached, it will not be
wisdom On the part OF the farmers to
rush the cotton to market, for the
reason that 1T might have a tendency
to depress prices temporarily. l think
THAI those who will hold Their cot,
ton and marketi IL slowly from now
on will be amply rewarded as those
who have Loyalty stood for the ii
cents minimum.
II congratulate the State and the
south on It's winning another victory.
Surely by this time every one will
recognize the work accomplished by
tho cotton association and will be
willing to give 1t their support. 1t ia
useless to attempt any argument to
prove the part we have played In
maintaining the price Of cotton. We
have gained every point we set out to
gain and have accomplished our OBJ
iect, which Is to prove to the world
that we can and will control southern
crop In the interest Of the southern
cotton growers. On account OF large
receipts from weak holders throwing
their cotton on the market, brcause Of
the pressure OF debt, the bears we're
able through their great leader to de-
press the price Of cotton during the
months Of September and October,
and oven to brighten some whose faith
was not as strong as 1t should be, but
now that the position is securely In
our hands, | think simple justice de-
mands that we hold the balance OF
our crop until those who took ad IAN.
cage OF the weakness Of our position