The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1906-04-12
|STATUS OF 1906 CROP


=. d
State from Baltimore says:
Summarizing - Isges of letters on
the cotton acreage outlook from
several hundred bankers in North
Carolina. South Carolina. Georgia,
Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi. Tex
as, Louisiana. Arkansas. Oklahoma.
and Indian Territory. .lhe States prae-
tieally embracing the cotton belt of
the South The Manufacturers Record
says this week:
The replies Indicate tendency
toward a slight increase III acreage
for the cotton belt rs whole. an in
crease, however. not overcoming the
decrease In 1905 from the acreage of
1904, and a tendency TO be restrained
by certain natural factors. The re-
plies show steady advance In diversifi-
cation Of crops. tirmer purpose than
ever on the part Of bankers and farm
ers 10 stand together for the common
good and greater degree Of comfort
among the growers.
There Is Il general purpose appear
ent all along the line for the bankers
and growers to continue, even with
greater zeal, the policy of cooperation
which worked so successfully dur
ing the past season. This does not, of
course imply less acreage as whole
in 1906 than i'll 1905, although such n
reduction in promised in number of
localities. Nor does it imply that the
acreage Ill some States will not be in
creased. New lands in Texas, Okla
homa, Indian Territory and Arkansas,
and, indeed, i'll such older States as
Georgia. South Carolina and Missis-
sippi, are being opened up and are
going into cotton In sections like the
delta of Mississippi, where no fertili-
ger is yet used, or where it is really
cheaper to buy supplies than tc raise
them with cotton at 10 or - cents, 4
moderate increase in acreage may be
expected and many individuals will
plant from 5 to 10 per cent wider than
last year. But in the main the bankers
are not encouraging any great expan-
sion, but, on the other hand, are stand
ing by the wisdom of the past u
months and are receiving from the
farmers hearty support. Some far
mers are still holding. not because
they expect much better prices, but
because they do not need the money,
and those who may not be satisfied
with the price at the time they gin the
coming crop are assured that they
VIII have no difficulty in obtaining ac-
eomodations from the banks and mer-
chants who are backing mn the grow
ers IN legitimate plans to make their
crop paying one. At the same time
voice of caution is rai-ed against
any combination to get excessive
prices, that being held as censurable
as are efforts OF Wall street bears to
depress prices. Here and there, where
experience has not taught wisdom,
the all-cotton idea is abroad, and some
few planters really favor a permanent
Scent basis for the staple
"The readiness with which the
S1o"tIo ldNoI toHScl NdllSIl III pIdul-
ing this year and their determination
to work along with the banks are due
to the steadily increasing comfort of
the many. The day of the old credit
system is passing, and now the grow
ers are found in various stages of
prosperity, from ability to pay off
old debts and to lift mortgages to
ability to lend money themselves.
Their bank accounts are greater then
ever before and they are investing
their surplus in permanent forms.
They are buying more land and bring
ing the present holdings to a high
state of cultivation. New homes with
modern conveniences are being built
and old ones are being improved. Up
to-date impliments and machinery are
being purchased, a better grade of live
stock is appearing, some farmers are
investing in town property and NOV
ing in so that their children may enjoy
better school facilities, the farms be-
ing rented, and more bank stock and
cotton mill stock and cotton seed oil
mill stock are being held by the far
>mers, while better school buildings
and better churches in divers country
neighborhoods bear witness to pros
perity growing out Of better prices for
cotton, and to the increasing ability
to maintain a policy insuring even
greater prosperity in the future.
Necessarily to diversity, to divert
some energies from cotton-growing in
to the raising of other crops, is Civ
ing place to deliberateness in follow
ing the policy as this stronger finan-
cial condition of the farmers permits
them to enlarge npon the wisdom of
not depending upon one crop. Diver
sification, which implies more fertiliz-
ing and greater attention given to the
crops, began primarily for thousands
of growers in carrying out "hog-
and-hominy' campaign--that Is, in
living on ones own farm, in making
supplies at home The growing in eer-
tain favored sections of early vegata-
bles and fruit for Northern markets,
the tobacco crop, as much a staple in
some sections of the South as cotton
is in others, and rice and sugar plant
ing have, of course, engaged the atten-
tion of many persons for years. New
tracts once devoted to cotton, or that
ordinarily might have been planted in
cotton, are being given over to a
nroafon. of Anhnnoa ora6