The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1905-01-10
WILL HELP FARMERS
TO HOLD THEIR COTTON
Virginia. Carolina Company'S President
Gives Instructions to Agents-LesS
Acreage Recommended.

Virginia Carolina Company'S President
Gives Instructions to !Agents-Less
Acreage Recommended.
S. T. Morgan. president Of the Eir.
ginia- Carolina Chemical company, has
| written a letter Of instruction to the
sales division managers of the COM
pany which is of interest to cotton
contained. Mr.. Morgan does not ad-
wise farmers either TO hold cotton OF
sell, but he does advise less acreage
and cultivation. He says:
The treasurer Of this company is
having SO many requests to extend
the notes of some OF our customers
and patrons, who have not finished
paying their bills. and who desire to
hold their cotton. stating that they
believe they will get more for the
cotton later on, that this company has
concluded to issue general letter on
the subjest, as follows:
Any farmer or merchant who may
be owing your division money and
who has cotton which he desires tc
hold, you are at liberty to extend his
note for him for six months from Jan
1St, with interest at the rate of pei
cent. per annum provided he will de-
post sufficient cotton to pay the note
in any reliable warehouse and viii
turn over to you warehouse receipts
for same. You are authorized to pay
the insurance on said cotton and make
no charge against your customer for
this item.
We do not pretend to offer advice
to our customers to hold cotton, but
we do intend to offer them every
facility and accommodation in our
power to hold their cotton. if in their
good judgment. it is best. Whatever
inures to the benefit Of the agricultural
classes of the south is to our benefit;
our interest is Identical with theirs.
We are more closely and Intimately
connected with the cotton grower of
the south than any dozen other con-
Germs combined. They are. our GUS
toners in the purchase of fertilizers,
and We are their customers in the pur-
chase of cotton seed. We both sell
and buy Of them, and deal in every
cotton growing county from Texas to
Virginia. Therefore, anything that will
improve the agricultural conditions or
help the farmer must necessarily bene-
fit US, and if holding their cotton will
be a benefit to them, it is our desire
to aid them in this as far as we can.
Other farm products, aside from cot
ton, appear to US to be selling at very
full values, and we believe it would
be wise in the farmers to sell any OF
their other surplus farm products
which would materially aid them in
holding their cotton.
We also are of the opinion that the
acreage last year devoted to cotton
was too large, and that it never could
have been cultivated in a normal sea-
son. The good weather during the
spring enabled the farmers to cu!ti-
vate every acre they planted; conse-
quently the tremendous big crop OF
this year. AS ordinarily it would be
impossible to cultivate sucn an enor-
nous acreage, we believe it would be
wise in them this year to materially
decrease the acreage. If it was de-
creased 10 per cent. it would mean e
reduction of more than a million bales
next year, even if the crop yielded as
much per acre as it did this year.
It strikes US that what the farmer
wants is to make his cotton at the
lowest possible cost. The profit de-
rived from growing cotton is not SO
much the price OF cotton as the cost
at which the crop has been grown
Mules and horses are high, much high
er than few years ago; the price OF
farm labor is high anG scarce. Ihere-
fore every acre cultivated means a
large expenditure 1t costs more to
cultivate an acre of land growing a
quarter of bale of cotton. than one
growing a bale. In the latter instance
the plant soon grows up and shades
the land, consequently the grass does
not grow so rapidly or luxuriantly.
The cheapest item that can be USED
| in the production of cotton is com
| 1nercial Fertilizers used literally Witt
a liberal application of fertilizers the
! farmer can grow bale Of cottor
where he has heretofore grown half q
bale, and do it with the same cost Of
mules and labor, and the additiona
quantity of seed grown will more thar
pay for the extra amount Of fertilizers
used Therefore. encourage your Gus.
| toners to reduce their acreage and t.
increase the amount Of commercial
fertilizers per acre. believing as We
do that this is the way and the only
way to raise cheap cotton.
The south must continue to produce
around 100000 bales Of cotton or they
will find in a year or two the balance
of the world competing with them il
growing this staple and our foreigr
market largely supplied from source:
that now produce but a limited
quantity.