The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-03-09
COTTON ACREAGE
BEING DISCUSSED
Too Early to Tell of This Years
Crop
NESBlTT ON THE SITUATION
Says That the Labor Situation On the
Farms viii Have Great Deal
to Do With the Pro-
duction.

too early yet to make any definite state
ments regarding the acreage this year.
Later in the month of March it will be
decided how many acres will be planted.
If the weather is good this month the
farmers are apt to plant large crops and
have the seed in the ground somewhat
early. If the weather is bad, however,
the farmers will not plant as soon nor
will they plant as largely as usual.
The sale of fertilizer is another index
of the acreage which is rather uncertain
just at present. A representative of one
of the largest fertilizer manufacturing
companies stated yesterday that orders
for fertilizer had suddenly ceased within
the past week or ten days. Up to that
time the orders had been very heavy. lie
estimates that if the orders do not in
crease during the next two weeks the
sale would be about the same as last year.
To date the orders for 1906 have been
! about the same as they were for the same
period in 1905.
This fact. according TO the cotton peo-
pie, would Indicate that the acreage in
Alabama this year will noS differ materi-
ally from that of last year.
From other sources it is learned that
sale has been slightly larger this year
than last year, indicating somewhat
larger crop. However, these statements
were made a week or so ago, when the
orders were very heavy for fertilizer.
The labor question is going to enter
into the matter more this year than ever
before. Farm hands are very scarce,
according to farmers who come to the
city, and it is feared that they will become
scarcer as the season approaches.
w. d. Nesbitt of Knight, Yancey & Co.
yesterday made the following statement
in regard to the situations:
Labor Question.
I'm considering the acreage to be plant
ed and cultivated in cotton for the season
| 1906, an element that will very largely
control the figures, is the ability of the
farmer to secure labor. This labor ques-
ton is one that is affecting all lines of
industry in this rapidly growing section.
The fact that in all lines of manufactur-
ing and industrial work, other than farm
ing, the profits have been unusually large
for the last two years and promise greater
returns for the coming year, enables oper-
ators in these lines to pay unusually high
wages, with the result that labor from
the farms in the south has been drawn
into the manufacturing communities. Day
labor is being paid from SIPS to $1.5O per
day in manufacturing and building en-
terprlses and the question is whether or
not in the first place the farmer can al
| ford to pay these prices in order TO re-
tain the labor that he now has, and IN
the second, to regain that which he has
already lost.
up to four years ago when cotton sold
| at an average of say, cents per pound,
farm labor was paid IS to $40 per month,
not including the cost of board, when
was furnished by the farmer. This Is
| not exceeding 60 to 10 cents per day, 50
that on the present basis, the cost OF
labor to the farmer is practically doubled.
] Even should the farmer be able to pay
! such prices with the prospect of IL cent
cotton. 1t is extremely doubtful IL he could
draw sufficient labor from the cities and
towns to make 1t possible to plant and
properly cultivate an acreage as great
| as last season. Some planters may take
! the risk of getting labor later In the
year and plant a large acreage. If this
is done the probable result VIII be a
very poor yield on account of their In
ability TO properly cultivate.
Business Methods improved.
"The farmers of the south, like all other
business men, have in the past few years,
greatly improved their business methods
and | do not believe that they will take
this risk of making a failure, but that
they will plant only reasonable acreage
to cotton with the idea of eultivating
carefully and raising on their other acre
| age those crops which will supply the
| farm with food and a surplus to sell to the
manufacturing communities, which now
| demand tremendous amounts of food
| stuffs
| "There is no crop raised in the south
| that requires the amount of labor per
acre which is necessary to properly cul-
| tivate cotton, so that short labor sup
ply naturally tends to lessen the cotton
acreage and increase the acreage of corn
small grains and grasses.
| Restriction of Acreage.
IT believe too that the majority of
| the farmers fully realize the truth of the
contention of the Southern Cotton asso-
citation, that only in the restriction of
! cotton planting to a reasonable acreage,
and the production of crops not more than
necessary to supply the needs of the spin
ming world, will profitable prices be OBJ
| tanned: and that outside of the labor
question, the farmers will, of their own
| Initiative plant only reasonable acreage.
| H0rhe fact that the weather in Feb
| ruary this year was very favorable to
| the preparation of land and the movement
| of fertilizer will tend to make the early
| reports of the sales of fertilizer large
| as compared with last year. when the
| weather in February was the worst in
MANY wears and so bad that it was i'm
| possible for the farmers to haul out their
| supplies of fertilizer.
| "Farmers are realizing each year the
advantage of fully fertllizing their land.
not only for cotton, but for all the other
| crops so that the amount per acre for
| ferti1izing is Increased for cotton and
| more fertilization is put under other crops
| than ever before. This Will also tend to
| show increase sales of fertilizer, but does
| NOT argue an increased acreage in cot
| ton. II-tE4l-i
All Things Considered.
"For these reasons and without consid-
| ering the possibility of bad weather dur
ing March, the month Of preparation and
planting of cotton lands and the possible
| ity Of abandonment OF acreage later on
account of bad stands or inability to eul-
tivate II seems to me insures an acre
aye certainly not materially greater than
last wears; upon which was raised ae-
cording TO government estimates only 49,,
100000 bales.
"rhe needs of the world for next year
will he at least 1200O,00O bales of Amer
ican cotton, so that IL we have the same
acreage as last year we must have 20
per cent better crops in order TO give
| TO the world cotton to supply her spin
| dies The conditions. therefore, seem to
| arg,,e that the south may reasonably ex-
/ nj ar