The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1905-06-09
GREATLY REDUCED.
Mr. Smith Challenges the Government
Figures on Cotton Acreage.
he Gives Much Intereating Data
About the Growing Crops rs
weil as Labor Conditions.

The Cotton Growers association
has won its fight, If all reports be
true. The State says Mr.. Smith,
who was in Columbia Saturday thinks
that Mr.. Jordan should have made q
spirited challenge of the report made
to the government by its agents re.
Gently. The cotton association re-.
ports the reduction in acreage to be
18.43 per cent and the government
reports fix the estimated reduction at
IL per cent. There is quite differ.
ence in these estimates, amounting to
$40, 900 bales In the aggregate. While
the cotton association has no crop
condition figures Of its own from last
year t. go by, still 1t appears that the
report Of the government agents is
subject to criticism from compari-
son with it's own figures of last year
The government report indicates
that the condition now is II and 10
OF perfect crop, whereas with almost
ideal weather last year the condition
was reported to be II and 10, Just a
little better than this year. Mr..
Smith thinks these figures must be
wrong. Texas Is ten weeks late,
whereas last year the crop work was
kept right up to date. While he was
in Texas short time ago he saw for
himself how the crop in that State Is
in bad condition because of the rains
and Baptist minister just from the
Southern Baptist convention at Fort
] Worth states that the crop is at a
| al q M of hn
four weeks ago. If this be true, aud
MIR. Smith has every reason to believs
that 1t is, the crop will be very, very
short In Texas, for what will be plant
ed late will be food for the boil wcevil.
Another thing to which Mr.. Smith
directs attention is the fact that last
year one hand could attend to full
crop because the seasons were propi.
tious. But this year one hand can at
tend to only half what he could last
year, and those who have planted
largely are complaining of the scarcity
OF labor. Their crops are run away
with by the grass and unless the farm.
ers decide to let part OF the crop 70,
they may lose all In trying to save the
whole acreage from grass.
Another thing which puzzles Mr..
Smith is how Mr.. Theodore Price can
see such wonderful change In the
crop within ten days. A FORTNIGHT ago
MIR. Price published widely state
ment declaring that the crop would be
short II per cent. Within the last few
days he has published q subsequent
statement In which he thinks the crop
will not be so much short after all. Mr.
Smith discredits Mr.. Price and cala
upon all southern people to turn deaf
ear to this cotton speculator.
The Southern Cotton association is
sending out reports compiled from the
statement from the various States In
the cotton belt, These reports show
that In Alabama every county has sub
m1tted report; Arkansas, 70 out OF
II counties; Florida, % out OF %;
Georgia, ITO out of 127; Louisiana, SO
out OF 90; Mississippi, 81 out ofASS74;
North Carolina 81 out OF SO; South
Carolina, ell but one; Tennessee, 25
out of AZ; Texas, 145 out of 1874; OKLA
homa, II out OF %; Iudian Territory,
"a out OF 26 In all IL, 754 replies have
1een received AMI were tabulated at
the meeting at New Oslgans last
Thursday, 634 being from this State.
a great number Of replies came iu
after Mr. Weston had forwarded his
report to New Orleans, but these mere
y verified what had been sent on.
Following Is the acreage report as
abu'ated from the STA ements sent to
the New Orleans meeting: