The Pickens sentinel-journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1903-1906, 1905-03-01

The work Of the recent Cotton Grow
ers Convention at New Orleans dc
serves, in it's main features, tho hearty
approval and endorsement Of the farm
ers all over the South. The action OF
the committee since tho adjournment
in formulating a constitution and hy-
laws as & basis and bond Of union for
the continued existence Of the Organ:-
cation is also worthy Of all praise for
its comDrchcnsivcness and adaptation
to the objects sought to be promoted.
It Is an able document and should be
the means OF consolidating and unity
ing the interests Of the cotton growers
and manufacturers in the future.
Whether its effective influence Shall
outlivc the present emergency ard Fro
mote the cotton growers best interests
in the future will depend largely M,,o!l
the good judgment and sound d;S"rH-
ton Of those in active contro. % tNc
organization, backed by the loyal An''
voluntary support OF the great mass Q:
the farmers themselves.
But many of the most Intelligent and
up-to-date farmers, supported by those
who arc themselves only sincere
friends of the farmers, are unable &c
sec the wisdom Of the advice to reduce
the amount Of fertilizers TO be used b!
the growers of cotton.
II is all "wcll and good" TO cut dow
the acreage in order to curtaii the $i"l
of the coming crop. 1t would hare Dc"l
better to have cut The area to onc-halt
the acreage Of last year. 1t would have
been still better 10 have advised and
argued upon 4 horizontal cut to lG
acres to the pl0", assuming that Su Il
reduction would amount 10 about
one-half, taking The entire cotton area
into account. The effect Of S;ici. Il re-
duction would practically have result
ed in such a largo decrease in The &g-
grcgatC cotton output that even (. VC:y
much larger increase IL The rlr acre
application Of fertilizers than il; at ell
probable would not suffice to produce
more than a 100000 900 bale crop, under
most favorable conditions.
For what does a farmer use COM
mcrcial fertilizers if not Tor the pu"
pose Of increasing the yield per a;r'
and ut the same time, as IN i::sHrai
able incident, TO lessen the coSl PEI
>pCuad OF producing the cotton? Il h,
fertilizer does not enable the l'ain:c!
to prou0ce bale Of cotton at Il i,i
cost than 1t could be produced withou
the fertilizer, then what good r.,r,
does the fertilizers perform? il :
farmer who has been growing cotton
without the aid or fertilizers ut :; COS
OF 7 cents per pound of lint, what il
the use OF applying fertilizers il -,ici
use does not lower tho COST 10 & cent.
or to 3 cents per pound Of lint?
Suppose Il given farmer has usually
planted 100 acres in cotton and that
the average yield, without fertilizer
has been about forty bales, which i.
about the general average. Will an,
one claim that such Il yield has cos
less than 7 cents per pound Of lint
Will 1T cost him any ln&s by Simpl,
reducing the area tC' 70 acres, and con
tinuinS to abstain from fertilizer. O
apply only an insignificant amount ne
acre? Not much, ii any, and IL an
less, 1t will be because hc will be aN,
to throw out % acres OF thc most u,
productive land v
But instead OF reducing the area
only rs acres. suppose he shall cut
down TO SO ac"as and apply 200 Doun
per acre Of a we'll balanced, home mi
cd fertilizer. viii he not thus incrca
the yield per acre by at least onc-ha
so that he will get thirty bales fro
the so acres? The "6Xed charges"
!abora interest, superintendent, ct
will be 10 greater Per acre cn the
acres than they were formerly or l.
40 acres, or just half rs much for pr