The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-09-22
Friday, September p, 1905
THE sOUTH's COTTON CROP.

The New York Commercial, imam
which there is no more reliable CON-
mercial or financial paper in the coun-
try, is very encouraging to the south
ern farmers in its expression of opiA-
ion as to the outlook for the cotton
planters. In it's comment on the ac-
ton of the A5heville convention MAX
ing eleven cents the minimum price
for cotton it says:
There is nothing compulsory about
this decision. 1t is more a matter of
information than anything else. Sc
cured for the benefit of the farmer.
1t is a conclusion deduced-nOt with
u some rOuble. as We have seem
from the data I~aboriously cleaned
from every section of the cotton belt
by the association.
Of course it is not compulsory on The
farmers. 1t was never intended to at
tempt 20 make It so, for that would be
impossible and the members of the
convention knew that; but the farmers
can, by sticking together and stand
ing by the agreement, make it compul-
sorry for those who want the cotton
to pay that price or do without it. Il
the price of cotton is regulated by the
law of supply and demand, the prIc.
increasing as the supply on the marke1
decreases then let the cotton growers
create such demand as will advance
the price, by keeping the product Off
the market. They did this last year
Notwithstanding they produced the
largest crop on record. If they could
do this with a crop of over thirteen
and a half million bales, surely they
can do so-and to greater extent-wlth
a crop of from two and a half to three
million bales smaller han last years.
1t will take backbone to do it, and Will
cause temporary inconvenience and
perhaps %privation to many farmers,
but it will pay in the end and the FAR
mers who stick to their determination
will be Immensely benefited by it.
The Commercial sees a possibility of
the price going much above eleven
cents. 1t says:
If the crop estimate and condition
are nearly accurate and it develops
that the 1905 crop will be of ordinary
dimensions. or smaller than now esti-
mated. there is no reason to believe
that cotton will not sell at a much
higher figure than II cents.
Cotton at II cents now does not
seem high. Some of those at the con-
VentiOn thought 10 cents high enough.
That would afford a reasonable profit
to the farmer: out II will be much
better-and if he In get more before
the season is over. we'll and good.
Next year should be an extraordinarily
good year. The south should get rich
off this monopoly guaranteed by ma
ture and against which none in this
country protests. and those abroad
only futilel" BY all means let the
acreage be increased: let the south
take advantage of the natural demand
more occasion to curtail the dimen-
sions of the crop as growers were per-
suaded to do this year"
There is good profit in raising cot
tor at eleven cents. Our farmers can
we'll afford to sell it at that price; but
if they can get more it is all the bet
ter. They should not allow themselves,
lLOuSh, " DS CdIIIGu away nS
the idea of securing very high prices.
1t will not be we'll to hold for figures
some of them are expecting to get. Ger
they may be disappointed.
We do not agree with The CONNER
cial in its advocacy of an increase of
acreage. The better plan would be to
;naroor Tho xiofl WOW o,n Tryo 1,o:o,
of cotton can be raised on n acre
cheaper than they can be on two. The
crop should be increased. if it is found
that the worlds demand is greater
than the supply, without adding an
other acre to tire number now under
cultivation, but by making the land
now titled produce more cotton. This
the farmers can do easily enough if
they will pay more attention to I'M
proved methods of farming, and when
they do this they will increase the net
value to them of the crop.
Another very encouraging feature is
the failure of experiments in raising
cotton in west Africa. The reports
of our consuls show that the south has
nothing to fear from that quarter
Great Britain and Germany have made
desperate efforts to break the south's
monopoly by fostering cotton growing
in Africa. The results of the expert
ments show that it cannot be done
For years and years to come the world
must look to the south for its supply
of raw cotton, and every cotton fac
tory that is built in the south leave;
less Of the raw material to supply the
foreign demand. When the south's
mills reach the consumption of all OIL
even three-fourths of her output OF
raw cotton the worlds demand for the
manufactured goods will have become