The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1905-11-15
BACK FROM TEXAS.

President Smith Says the Prospect
Everywhere is Encouraging.
The Report Of Crop Conditions Is
sued by the Southern Cotton
Association is Very
Encouraging
The Columbia State says Mr.. E. D
Smith, field agent OF the Southern
Cotton Association was in Columbia
last week and was elated over the
cotton conditions. He sale:
II am just back from a tour Of the
West where I have been in the in
terest OF the Scuthern Cotton asso.
citation, to meet the executive CON-
nittee Of the Texas division. In At.
lanta I was joined by President Jor-
dan and We together went via Vicks-
burg and Shreveport. This carried
US through Mississippi, Louisiana and
part Of Texas. Throughout M;ssis
sippi the cotton crop is certainly as
short or shorter than has been report
ed. The frost and worms, so far as
our obse1v -tion went, have complete.
ly destroyed ali 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
urquestionably the finest cotton lands
of the world. there will not be made
more than IS to so per cent. OF last
years yield. Near Monroe, L., where
is the very cream OF tie delta, there
is practically no cotton at all. Thous
ands CT acres have been abaLdoned
and thousands have been only parti.
ally tended, with 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
servieWing cotton men and business
men and they confirmed the impres.
sion that we had received from cur
own observation. From Shreveport to
Dallas we went through a portion Of
the best cotton lands Of Texas and
the same condition obtained through
out this portion OF the State. A
Dallas the State fair was In progress
and representa- attVes Of eVey comfy In
the State, also the members OF the
executive committee, were present.
1.-The facts. as stated by these diff
ferent parties, are to the : f ct that
in the eastern, central and northern
portions Of Texas the crop was from
30 to IS per cent. short Of last year.
IN western Texas, where the boil
weevil is most numerous, his raVages
have not been 80 great this year as a
conse quence the western Txas crop
is as good OF better than last years,
but it 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 CON-
pared with the same territory with
out the seeVil. think it would be
a conservative estimate to place the
shortage in Texas alone at l 200, 900
bales. From Texas we returned via
TeYarEana and MamnIis.
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 seems 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 I hkv, visited all
save Florida, the estimate i-sued by
the Southern Cotton ass ,ciation
making the crop for this year 9. 444 .
900 bales as ginned which does not
include Of course, linters) is COL
servative 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.
I 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, tor the
reason that it might have tendency
to depress prices temporarily. I think
that those who will hold the.r cot.
ton and narketi1 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 its winning another victory.
Surely by this time every one Will
recognize the work accomplished by
the cotton association and will be
willing to give it their support. It is
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 were
able through their gTest leader to de-
press the price Of cotton during the
months Of September and October,
and even to frighten some whose faith
was not as strong as it should be, but
now that the position Is securely In
our hands, ] think simple justice de.
mands that we hold the balarce OF
o,1r cron 1nti) tt,nsa ppho took a5Van