The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1905-01-04
GOVERNMENT BULLETIN.
DIRECTOR BAUER IS
s SUES ONE ON COTTON.
The Profit in Raisisg the Staple Dis
cussed and Figures Given as
to Cost.

There is considerable interest taken
in the last monthly crop bulletin is
sued by Section Director Bauer, which
is devoted to the profit in the raising
of cotton. The bulletin says:
It is the common opinion that the
selling price of an agricultural pro-
duct is alone the measure of its pro-
htableness. theoretically this is true,
but in actual practice it is not wholly
true, and in some Instances is not
even the most important factor. when
productiveness is compared with crop
prices.
BY far the greatest part Of what the
average farmer raises is for use and
consumption on his farm, and the resi-
due is the surplus on which alone the
selling price has any effect 50 far 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
sbe probably consumed on the farm,
and yet a. series of comparisons would
indicate that the selling price Of cot
TOMS less important than the pro-
Eductiyeness per acre, in calculating
the prohtabIeness Of this crop.
The statement that more money is
received for a small than for large
crop may be true, and yet the larger
amount Of money received for the
1r.,.. - ,.e,,racarfu a 1osc fa the
cotton planter, in comparison with the
smaller amount recaiyed for the larg-
er crop. This view is less common,
and it is based, of course, on the larg-
er yield per acre. Of q large crop than
small one.
It may be assumed as an approx
mate fact that the cost OF cultivating
an acre Of cotton varies but little from
yearto year, far less than the price
per pound or the yield per acre, and
it may also be assumed to be constant
in the same locality, however widely
it may vary in different localities.
To illustrate all Of all the foregoing
points, he value per acre has been
calculated for the total cotton crop Of
South Carolina and Texas for num-
aber of years, selected to represent
the conditions briefly stated above.
In 1878, the value per acre, in South
carolina, was s14.20: in Texas, $3.50;
the price per pound was 11.2 cents.
In 1s94, the value for South Carolina
was s14.30; for Texas, $3.50; the
price per pound 60 cents. Ill 1895
the values were, fo rSouth Carolina,
s15.9 90; for Texas, 5000; the price
per pound 10 cents. In 1898, the year
sof greatest production for which val
ues are available, the values were. for
South Carolina, $11.00;s for Texas,
ss13 80; the price per pound So cent -
Th elimits Of this article will not
permit full discussion of the wealth
.er that prevailed, and the acreage cul-
tivated in connection with the
amounts realized per acre, but it can
be safely stated that the yield per
acre is the controlling factor in the
proftableness Of raising cotton, rather
thai the price per pound. A large
yield md high price would be the
most profitable combination, but the
rule OF supply and demand asserts
itself very quickly in such cases, oper-
ating on the variable factor, i. e., tie
price. The conclusion is that inten-
siye farming swill do more to make
cotton raising profitable ti.an Will
varying the acreage from year to y. a.
in the hope Of raising prices by lint
ing production or Of increasing the
acreage to supply existing deficiency
at high prices. If the supply can be
made fairly constant, the price will
remain fairly constant The effect OF
the wather on the growing srnp IS,
after all, the rnaoin factor in the pro-
fta5lenass IF raising Co: on.-t."la51-
bia Daily Record.
CDpyicfc Shot tn Death