The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1905-01-06
A Wn Is Worth by Yield
u @AV Per Acre.
J SELLING PRICE
Nas N Be Misleading as TO Value. An
Important Distinction. The South
Carolina Weather Bureaus Re.
port for November Con.
tains Startling Data.
tains Startling Data.

The November report OF the South
Carolina section Of the weather bu.
reau service, just out, contains much
that is of interest to farmers and all
Others who keep up with crop condi-
tions.
The me- st interesting and valuable
portion of the report Is In the nature
OF reminder, or advice, to farmers
as to what makes the value OF the
cotton crop, and this Is especially
timely just now when there are 20
many Bizarre notions as to how to In.
crease the price. The report shows
that the return on the crop to the In
dividual farmer Is represented not by
the price per tale, but by the price
per acre, and some CON parsons be-
tween South Carolina and Texas are
made which illustrate the point.
The report says on t. Is line:
1T is the common opinion that the
selling price II an agricultural pro-
duct is alone the measure OF its profit
ableness. Theoretically this Is true,
but liz actual Practice 1t IN not wholly
true, and in some instances Is not
even the most important factor,
with crop prices.
BY far the greater part of what
the average farmer raises Is for use
and consumption on his farm, and the
residue is the surplus on which alone
the selling price has any effect so far
'--as the farmers tiuanceS are concerned.
The case is diIerent with the cotton
farmer, for thSaentire production Ci
this staple must be sJld, and none can
be plofitably consumed on the farm,
and yet series Of comparisons would
indicate that the selling price Of COT
ton is less important than the pro-
ducliveness per acre, in calculating
the protitablcnes 0f this crop.
The state ment that more money
Is received for small than for y large
= aa-. u. -, = the ]e.=:-
amount or money recaived for the
smaller crop represents loss to the
cotton planter, in comparison with
the smaller amount received for the
larger crop. This view is less COM
mon, and it is based, Of course, on
the larger yield per acre OF a large
crop than a small one. 1t may b. as
sumed as an approximate fact that
the cost Of cultivating au acre Of cot
ton varies but little from year to
year, far less than the price per
pount or the yield per acre, and it
may also be assumed to be constant
In tho same locality, however widely
it may vary in different loalities.
To Illustrate all Of the foregoing
points, the value per acre has been
calculated for the total cotton crop Of
South Carolina and Texas for num-
ber OF years, selected TO lepIes ent the
conditions briefly stated above. In
the value per acre, in South Carolina,
was Sl4 20; in Texas, S22 80; the price
Fer pound was ll.2 cents. In 1894
the value for South Carolina was
Sl4.30; for Texas, 80; the price
per pound 90 cents. In 1896 the
vaiuss were, fer South Caralira.
30; for Texas, $1,000; the price
per pound 10 cents. In 1898, the
Z year Of greatest production for which
values are available, the values were,
for South Carolina, sll; for Texas,
/ Sl3 50; the price per pound SO cents.
The limits of this article will not
=, ,ofrnt a full discussion or the wea thcr
ttivate6r prevailed, and the acreage cul-
mounts in connection with the
na safely sallzed per acre, but IL can
nore is the cGcd that the yield per
nrof, ablenesi E.blling factor In the
p ppather thar 4 OF raising cotton,
,aroe vicl1 the price per pound. A
4he mo.A and high price would be
% tho T,st profitable combination, but
Govt Govt ule Of supply and demand as
1ovi itself very quickly in such cases,
,3rating On the variable factor, t. e
ie price. The conclusion is that In.
ensiye farming will do more to make
cotton raising profitable than will
varying the acreage from year to year
in the hope OF raising tile price by
linn ting production or increasing tie
acreage to supply an existing defici
ency at high prices. If the supply
can be made fairly constant the price
will remain fairly constant. The
effect OF the weather on the growing
crop is, after all, the main factor il
; the pre- fitablcncss Of raising cotton.
PROGRESS OF FARM WORK.
AS to the progress Of farm worl
during November the bulletin says
The weather conditions through
out GsSSwember were favorable foI
= ff,l<8 eaI1vst crops remained in tht
laS ainly Of late, scat