The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1905-11-15
ADVICE TO COTTON GROWERS.
President Smiths Address ON His Re-
turn From Texas.


Columbia, November President
Ellie D.. Smith of the Cotton
Growers Association, has just return
-sd 10 the city, and tonight gave out
this most interesting address:
81 am just back from tour of the
West where I have been in the in
crest of the Southern Cotton Associ-
..,tion to meet the executive commit
zee of the Texas division. In Atlanta
was joined by President Jordan, and
we went together via Vicksburg and
Shreveport. This carried us through
Mississippi, Louisian and a part OF
Texas. Throughout Mississippi the
cotton crop is certainly as short as,
or shorter, than has been reported.
The frost and worm, so far as our OBJ
.servatien went, have completely de-
stroyed all prospect Of anything like
a crop from the late cotton or top
crop OF the old cotton.
..From vicksburg to Shreveport
between which points the Delta Of the
Mississippi and Red rivers, and
,1nouestionably the finest cotton lands
If the world. there will not be made
more than forty-hve to fifty per cent
Of last years yield.
sNear Monroe, La, is the very
-cream Of the Delta, there is practical
II no cotton at ALL Thousands OF
acres have been only partially tended,
nth net result that the louisiana
crop is practically a failure.
cat Shreveport, where we missed
connection and had to lie over SIX
hours, we had an opportunity
OF interviewing cotton men and busi-
ness men, and they confirmed the I'M
preston that we had received from
our own observation. From Shreve-
port to Dallas we went through a por-.
ton Of the best cotton lands Of Texas,
and the same condition obtained
throughout this portion Of the State.
eat Dallas the State Fair was IN
progress and there were present rep
restntatives Of every county in the
state. and the members of the execu-
five committee were present. The
facts. as stated by these different par
lies was to the effect that in the east
ern. central and northern portions OF
Texas, the crop was from 30 to 80
Der cent short OF last year. In West
ern Texas, where the boil weevli IS
most numerous, his ravages have not
been so great this year, and as con-
sequence the Western Texas crop is as
good or better than last years, but i1
.1nust be understood that this means
"a restricted area, and the production
per acre does not exceed more than
one-half crop this year as compared
with the same territory without the
weeul. I think it would be a conser-
yativei estimate to place the shortage
in Texas alone at one million, TWO
hundred thousand bales
e seeFrorn Texas we returned via Tex
arkana and Memphis. This took us
through the entire State Of Arkansas,
where we had ample opportunity OF
seeing the crop in that State, and
practically the same per cent of short
age was evident. The frost in Arkan-
sas seems to have been more destruc-
tive than in any other State, with the
exception possibly Of Northern Geor-
gia. From my observation . of the
crop in every state, for have visited
all save Florida, the estimate issued
by the Southern Cotton Association
making the crop for this year nine
million, four hundred and fifty-four
thousand bales as ginned, (Which does
not include. Of course, linters), a con-
servative one.
Certainly we have succeeded at
last in convincing the world Of the
short1 ess Of this crop; hence the price
fixed at Asheville has been reached. l
do not feel that I have the right TO
advise the farmers to hold beyond this
prie, but it is my opinion that we Will
see much higher prices in the imme-
date future, and, though IL cents
should be reached, it will not be Wis
dom on the part of the farmers to
attempt to rush the cotton to market,
for the reason that it might have
tendency to depress prices temporari-
ly. think that those who will hold
their cotton and market it slowly
from now on will be as amply re-
garded as those who have loyalty
held for II cents minimum.
st congratulate the State and the
South on its winning another victory.
Surely by this time every one will
recognize the work accomplished by