The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-21

dairying; first in grass, grain. hogs and
 cattle and holds the record of being the
 best all-round agricultural state in the Union Last year Q90D Iowa exported
 s20 COOL 900 worth of butter and her best customers were the cotton states where
 both pork and dairy products can be
 produced cheaper than they can be pro-
 duced In any of the western states.
 A few days ago, l went into Village in cotton producing section of the coun7 try The crowd of farmers that gathered
 was too large for any hall in town. So dray wagon was pulled up on the square and from this made my talk. In walking | around the town, 1 picked up some sale | bills Noticed that the bills read that 1 the terms of sale were that all notes not
 paid at maturity should draw F per cent | interest. In my talk. l referred to this
 interest and told the farmers that no | country or farmer could ever prosper un- l der such a system and such high rate | of interest. A very intelligent gentleman | spoke up, My dear sir. if our farmers | could get off on 12 per cent interest they would feel themselves lucky. There are 1 farmers right here that are paying all l the way from 12 to 40 per cent for money 1, to produce cotton" l thought that the
 statement was a little stretched, so began l to investigate the matter, talked With l bankers merchants and farmers and from
 them got even worse statements. Some
 farmers were paying 50 per cent for | money.
 Let us look at this question of cotton
 production in another light from that of debts and high interests. A short time l ago I was in Texas where l found the
 farmers elated over the high price of cot l ton Some of them seemed to think that | a bale of cotton worth 10 cents per pound, even if more than half it's value I lt n11a1 hA 1 market was a bonanza. l heard great 1 deal about the great revenue that the crop would bring to the state. The best estimate that 1 have seen on the cotton l crop gives S135.000,0o0 The poultry busi-
 ness of Missouri will be more than half
 of it's entire crop of cotton and Missouri
 is only about one-fourth in area as com l pared with Texas. The agricultural pro- ducts of the two states, Iowa and 1lli- nois, would pay for every pound of cot l ton at 10 cents per pound that is pro-
 duced in the fourteen states and ter 1 ritories.
 Value of Cotton Crop.
 | few days ago l was Tn Memphis when 1 l called in at the cotton exchange and was furnished a statemeIt by the secre- 1 tary which showed that the cotton crop l of last year worth in round num- 1 bers close to Se00,000 There were engaged 1 in the production of this cotton fourteen states and territories. This is little less 1 than $43. .OO0, ,0G0 for each state or territory, 1 If divided among them. Now l do not : mention these facts to beittle the cotton l farmer or the cotton crop. for we must , have cotton and it will be the leading 1 crop on many southern farms for years l to come It brings a greater revenue to l the south than any other crops and gives employment to more people than any oth-
 .f I f-l, l impress upon the cotton farmer is that as stated before, the purchasing power of the crop can and should be doubled. This can be accomplished by growing the same