The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1905-01-04
THE SELLING PRICE
MAY 8. Misleading as 10 Value. Ar
important Distinction. The SoutS
Carolina Weather Bureaus Re.
port for November CoH'
tains Startling Data.

reau service, just out, contains nuct
that is CT interest to farmers and al
others who keep Cp with crop conol'
tions
Tie mcss interesting and valuable
portion Of the report IS io the nature
Of a reminder, or advice, to farmers
as to what makes the value OF tne
cotton crop, and this is especially
timely Just now when there are 50
many bzsrre rotions as to how to IN
crease the price. TIE report shows
that the return on the crop TO one N
diqiouai farmer is represente Tot og
the Price psr tale, but by the price
per acre, ard some con parsons BE-
tween South Carolina and Texas are
made which illustrate the point.
The report says on tAis line:
Tt is the common opinion that the
selling price Of an agricultural pro
duct is alone the measure OF its prOnc-
ableness. Theoretically this is true,
but in actual practice it is net wholly
true, and in scme instances IS not
even the most Important factor,
when productiveness is com pared
with crop pricss.
by far the greater part OF what
the average farmer raises is Ior use
and ccnsump5lo on his farm, and the
residue is the surplus on when alone
the ssllirg price has any effect SO Iaf
as the farmers finances are concerned.
The case is different with the cotton
farmer, for the entire production OF
this staple must be sold, and none can
be ploftably consumed on the 1afm,
and yet series Of comparisons would
indicate that the selling price OF CT
ton is less jmportant than the pro-
oucti7ene$s per acre, in calculating
the proitabl7nes Of this crop.
The statement that mi're money
is received for a small than for large
crop may be true, and yet the larger
amount of money received 1cr 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 larse
crop than small one. 1t may be as
suned as an Approximate fact tha5
the cost Of cul5iyatirg au acre cI COT
ton varies but little from year to
year, far less than the price per
pound or the yield per acre, aDo IL
may also be assumed to be constant
in the same locality, however widely
it may vary in different loalities.
ITO illustrate al Of the foregoing
points, tie value per acre has been
calculated for the total cotton crop OF
South Carolina and Texas for a num-
Der Of years, selected to represent the
conditions brisfy stated above. ID
the value per acre, in South Carolina,
was sl4 20; in Texas, s22 SO; the price
rer pound was 1l.2 cents. In 1884,
the value for South Carolina was
sl4.3c; fer Texas, $3.50; the price
per pound 6.s cents. Ia 1895 the
values were, f,r South Caralina,
SIS. 90; fer Texas, sl0.so; the price
per pound 10 cents. 10 1898, the
year Of greatest production for which
values are available, the values were,
for South Carolina, Sill; for Texas,
s13 80; the price per pound So censs.
The mitS Of this aIticle viii not
pe1mit a full discussion Of the weather
that prevailed, and the acreage cui-
tivaged, in connection with the
amounts realized per acre, but it can
be safely stated; that the yield PEI
acre is the controlling factcr in the
prcftableness Of raising cotton,
rather than the price per pound. a
large yield and high price would be
the most profitable combination, but
the rule OF supply and demand as
serts itself very quickly in such cases,
operating en- the variable factor, /. e
the price. The conclusion is that IN
tensive farming will Go more to make
cotton raising profitable than vii
vary ing the acreage from year to yeal
in the hope OF raising the price by
limiting production CT increasing the
acreage to supply an existing oehcl
ency at high prices. II the supply
can be made fairly constant the price
will remain fairly constant. The
effect Of tie weather on the growing
crcp is. after all, the main factor il
the prcftableness Of raising cotton.
PROGRESS OF FARM WORK.
AS to the progress OF farm worl
during Novenb ber the bulletin says:
The weather conditions through
out November were favorable TO
gathering what crops remained IN th
fields. consisting mainly OF late, scat
tering bolIs of cotton, although som
fe]ds received their first picking dur
ing the month; gathering AID huskin
corr: picking seed peas; ciegiDg az
nit,!ng sweet potatoes; and gatherin
miror crops such as turnip, peanut
and other root crops.
"A general killing frost, excep
along the coast where it WIS oeaV
frost, On the 18th, with freezing ten
neratures and thin ice over the uppe
uarts Of the State, stopped al furthe
growth except OF the very hardies
vegetables in the coast truck regions
and ended the growing season OF 1905
The temperature averaged slight
ly below normal, but was never col
enough to afford safe opportunity fc
butche ricg farm hogs, have in th
wes;ern portions where much nea
vas cured and packed.
.'plowing vas delayed by drought
but en. ugh rain fell early IN the mont
20 $. fuen the ground and perm
preparation Of lands for wheat an
cats and large acreage Of both grail
were scwn turiug the month. &c
niaation was slow, owing to the pr
yailing cool weather, but vas In u