The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1905-02-18

tables were turned, and our OK has
been gored, and in consequence some
Of US are disposed to play Maud
and kick at the bureau for telling tire
truth, just as il did last year. But
in the writer's Judgment the bureau
is the best friend and benefactor the
cotton planter has, and it is the duty
of every farmer and ginner IN the
South to truly report the facts as /
| they exist every time they are called /
on for information concerning the +
cotton crop. If the facts are favor
able to your interest you are en-
titled to it. If against you, you |
/ should know it as quick as possible
and prepare to meet it.
| With the bureaus report as guide |
the planters know just what they are
| doing, and by united effort they can
profit BY this valuable information
/ by practically fixing and controlling
| the prices of cotton in the markets
/ Of the worldly keeping the produc-
! ton near the consumption.
| By referring to the tables again we
/ find that in 10000 we planted nearly
| 100000 acres in cotton, and made
practically 100000 bales. In 1904
! 05 we planted over 100000 acres
| and will make over 100000 bales,
i which is an increase Of 100000 acres
/ over the previous year. AS result
/ Of this increase in acreage, and tar
1 crop conditions, you raised the largest
crop in the history of the country,
producing a surplus Of at least one
and a half million bales. And this
surplus has caused you to lose all
the way from $500 to $4,000 per bale
on the balance Of the ten and one
half million bales unsold at the time
the facts Of the bumper crop began
to be definitely known.
This decline corresponds with the
bumper crop of 1S99-99 when cotton
i sold at 5 cents per pound and less.
This one and a half million surplus
/ Is the milestone that now hangs about
your necks, and the best way to get
| rid Of the burden in the shortest time
| is the vital question with you.
Suppose you plant the same number
| Of acres this year you did last, under
same conditions. you will make this
| year over IL 1000, 900 bales, and will
! then have another surplus, which ad-
/ ded to the present surplus, will make
surplus of over {, ZOO 900 bales. Now,
! il one and one-half million surplus
| last year sent prices from 10 cents to
6 cents per pound, is it not reasonable
/ that three million surplus this year
/ would send prices this fall to and
| cents, and probably lower? Examine
! the above table for yourselves and an
| swer the question. Should this con-
i dition of affairs come it will bring
j wreck and ruin to thousands Of now
prosperous and happy homes, and the
cry Of hunger and suffering will be
/ heard about the doors Of other thou
/ sands of tenants, who are lily pre-
pared for such an ordeal.
/ This calamity can be avoided by
the cotton raisers if they will, and in
the opinion of the writer, large re-
| duction in the acreage is your only
! salvation
Now, how much reduction of acre
age is necessary to restore the prices
4 Of the present crop and give you
10-cents basis for this years crop?
For the benefit of all sMissourians"
who may be engaged in cotton raising
we will show them the figures,
which don't lie, if properly made. As
/ above stated, you planted last year
| in round numbers 80 900 600 acres in
4 cotton and produced 100000 bales.
| Now, let US figure on a rs per cent
reduction and see the result. With
i this reduction we will plant this year
/ 100000 acres, and figuring on the
same weather and crop conditions we
had last year, will produce 100000
bales, to which add the present sur
plus, and we will have ten and one
half million bales of cotton to dispose
/ OF, and according to the admission of
bears, bulls, spinners and cotton ex-
perts, such a crop under present con-
ditions will bring 10 cents per pound,
and probably more. So just as sure
as you make a 25 per cent reduction,
/ lust that certain (under same weather
and crop conditions) you will receive
10 cents for your cotton. There are
some arguments made by both the
landlords and tenants which l desire
to here state, and then show their
fallacy by facts and figures. We
/ often hear the landlord say, IF cot
ton is low l must make my tenant
1 plant everything in cotton, because
/ get more rent for my land" We
frequently hear the tenant say, 81
| have to have so much money to live
on, and if cotton is only worth 4
cents a pound | must raise twice as
much as I did at 8 cents to make a
living" These propositions are both
manifest1y fallaeious when considered
in the light Of reason and present
conditions I assert that the interest
of the landlord and tenant is identi-
cal, and what is to the advantage of
one is to the advantage of the other.
and in support of this assertion I
again appeal to the facts and figures.
To illustrate: Figuring on the same
crop and weather conditions, say the
4 landlords and tenants conclude not to
reduce the acreage from last year,
and again plant 100 acres. Say it
makes 50 bales, they cannot hope to
realize at best more than from to 5
cents a pound At cents the crop
would bring $3.50. But suppose every
landlord and tenant conclude to re
duee their crop from last year, and
only plant Is acres, and it makes 81 IL
bales, and it is worth 10 cents per
pound, the crop would bring next fall
S1,875
So we see that the rs acres brings
to the pockets of the landlords and
tenants S625 more than the 100 acres.
So We see both the landlord and ten
Il ant are equally interested in making
the 25 per cent reduction. From q
financial standpoint you had better
give the 25 acres Of land a rest; or,
better still, let the tenant plant it ia
wheat. cats and corn. Get you a few
hogs and make your living off the %
IT q