The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-03-10
Friday, March TO-. 1905.
TO REDUCE COTTON ACREAGE.

According to the Savannah PressI
there is one man in Georgia who doesl
not believe hat the movement amongi
the southern farmers to reduce ccttoni
acreage this year Will succeed. ThI;l
ina is quoted as saying h a therel
are only two things which keep thel
farmers from planting a big %cottonl
crop and these are the providence of
God and inability to procure credit.
We know the Southern Cotton As
ISOLATION is up against a tough prop
osition, but we hope it is not as bad
as this "prominent citizen of Geor-
gia thinks
The cry of reduce acreage is made
annually among the cotton planters
before planting time, and after the
crop is pitched the reports are sent
broadcast that there is less cotton
planted than IN the year before, but
it turns out in the end that almost
every farmer in the south has put
as many acres in cotton as was pos
sib1e for him to cultivate-often more
i'm the hope and with the expecta-
ton that there would be a short
acreage and he would make a big
thing out of his increased planting.
This is the way it has worked in
past years. This year, though, there
seems to be brighter prospects for q
real reduction of acreage. The cot
ton planters are better organized
through the Southern Cotton Associ'
alton and subordinate state and coun
ty associations and they seem to be
more determined to stand together
The men put at the head Of the as
ISOLATION seem to better understand
the conditions and the difficulties tt
be overcome to make that movement:
a success than those who have here.
tofore headed such movements. Thu
most important point to be game.
and h one that will conduce more
to success is to convince the mass o
cotton planters that it will be to tn
advantage of each individual n TO
him to stand by the general agreement
to reduce acreage. In fact, if thi
can b. done the victory viii be won
II reference to the prospects o
success in this great movement tn
press bureau of the Southern Cotto,
Association sends out this informa
ton:
Meetings which were held all owe,
the south Tuesday at the differen
county seats in the various states in
dictate that the cotton acreage tn
year will be reduced fully % per cent
as required by the Southern Cotton
Association. Not only have farmer
everywhere resolved to cut the are
age, but they have also reduced thu
amount of commercial fertilizer tina
is to be used, as was shown in tn
letter of Commissioner of Agrioul
ture q. B. Stevens, of Georgia, VIII.
stated that from every state he hat
received official reports that the acre
age was being reduced 25 per cent
and the fertilizer 33 1-3 per cent.
President Harvie Jordan feels yer,
enthusiastic over the outlook. PEG
pie have rallied to the support of tn
movement in all sections. and as h
has stated in an article the work i
not for the farmers alone, but for tn
upbuilding of the whole south.
Mr.. Jordan is now on q tour OF tn,
western southern states. He Will b,
gone for probably three weeks. H
will speak in Texas. Louisiana. Mis-
sissipri, Arkansas, Tennessee, Ind1al
Territory and Oklahoma Territory
Everywhera he is being received will
great enthusiasm by the people. and
at every point he stops ne receive
additional assurances of
The next week will be spent by MI
Jordan IN New Orleans arranging TO
the working Of the Cotton Planters
Holding and Commission Conipan,
that IS 10 retire two million bales o
cotton from the market and hold t1,
cotton until the price of cotton re7che
ten cents.