The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1906-12-07


once made q talk 70 a meeting Of
farmers, not q hundred miles from At
lnnta. Cotton was then selling at six
cents a pound and. no prospect for. .
rise. Before the opening OF the
meeting had close conversation with
q farmer, his son and son-in-law. They
admitted that II cost them not less than
six cents q pound for every pound OF
the question: "Why do you continue
10 grow cotton at cost Of six cents
when you have not sufficient reason TO
believe that it will sell for any more In
the market 2" The answer from the
father was, 1--WE are Obliged 70 grow
cotton IN order 10 pay our debts" This
suggested the query, please tell me
how you can pay debts growing cotton
at q cost Of six cents and selling II at
the same figure Suppose you were
about 10 plant q crop OF nifty acre.. Of
cotton. You know from your familiar
ity with the land, gathered from past
experience, that Il will cost you not less
than $500 In labor, fertilizer wear and
tear, etc., % plant and cultivate the
land, 70 gather, bale and market the
crop. Your experience also tells you
that the fifty acres will produce about
fifteen bales of cotton, and the proba-
billty a that Il will sell for elk cents
pound, or about $50 IN allan actual
loss OF $50 on the crop. How can you
nay debts, or even live, on such = ba.
elSf" The elder farmer acknowledged
the force Of the illustration and replied,
well, what are we 70 dot" laughingly
replied, "Woll, II you cannot produce
cotton nc Q less cost than six and two
third cents q pound when 10 will sell for
only six cents II would be better for
you 10 sit In the chimney corner, smoke
'stlngy green and wear out the seat Of
your trousers. The old lady can stir
around, raise . few chickens and tur.
nip greens, milk tho range COW and feed
you on short rations II will be cheaper
10 do nothing than to produce cotton at
a positive loss"
Now the above colloquy, In substance,
actually occurred. Change the date to
1867, increase the cost OK producing
such q crop Of cotton 70 eight cents a
pound, or e600, and the market price TO
ten eents and you Will get profit Of
two cents pound, or $50 on the fifteen
bales, That would be better, but yet
what q poor business after all The net
profit ought % DO at least $500, OF twice
a. great. The truth Is, no farmer
could live at such farming. He would
30 OblidRed 20 make something out Of
tina other operations Of che farm.
And, In truth, that 10 just what many q
farmer does. He makes very little, or
nothing at ell, on hla cotton crop and
gets bis living" from his other crops
and industries -his corn and cows and
chickens, etc.
But Sone ono may insist that Il will
not COST him eight cents pound 10 grow
cotton, even at the rate OF fifteen bales
ca Atty acres. He does not count the
labor 81 hia two sons during the propas
ration and heavy cultivation, nor that
d bic daughters llt may be) N picking
the cotton. Such en- objection is not
worth considering farther than 70 Say
that the labor Of Z boy or girl at Q time
when they should b going % school V
often the daarest labor that the pooE
man eInplOya.
The Finisdy u bottor farming, more
lnennalve system, smaller and better