The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1906-04-12
DIXIE IN ASCENDANT
Farmers of South Plan to
Hold Reins with Tight Grip.
PROSPERITY A TEACHER.
Err-r Of Overplanting of Cotton Will
Be Given Wide Berth-Growers
in Better Shape Than Ever
Before in Their History.

Before in Their History.
Summarizing fifteen pages of letters
on the cotton acreage outlook from
several hundred bankers in North Car
olina, South Carolina, Georgia, Ala.
bama, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louis
ina, Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma and
Indian Territory, the states PRACTICAL !,
ly embracing the cotton belt of the
south, The Manufacturers Record
(Baltimore), in the current issue,
says:
"The replies indicate tendency to-
ward slight increase in acreage for
the cotton belt as a whole, an In
crease, however, not overcoming the
decrease in 1905 from the acreage
of 1904, and tendency to be re-s
strained by certain natural factors.
The replies show steady advance In
diversiflcation Of crops, a f1rmer pur.z
pose than ever on the part of bank
ers and farmers to stand together for
the common good and a greater de-.
gree of comfort among the growers.
There is general purpose appar-
ent all along the line for the bankers
ard the growers to continue, even
x~yit Hn ~
operation which worked out so sue
cessfu!ly during the past season. This
does not, of course, imply less acre
age as whole in 1906 than in 1905,
although such a reduction is prom
ised in a number Of localities. Nor
does it imply that the acreage In
some states will not be increased.
New lands in Texas, Oklahoma, In-
dian Territory and Arkansas, and, in.s
deed, in such older states as Geor-s
gia, South Carolina and Mississippi,
are being opened up and are going
into cotton.
I'm sections like the delta of Mis-
sissippi, where no fertilizer Is yet
used, or where it is really cheaper
to buy supplies than to raise them
with cotton at 10 or - cents, a mod
crate 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
expansion, but, on the other hand,
are standing by the wisdom OF the
past twelve months and are receiv-s
ins from the farmers hearty sup
port. M
Some farmers 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 will have no difficulty In
obtaining accommodations from the
banks and merchants who are back
ing up the growers in legitimate plans
to make their crop a paying one.
AT the same time voice OF cau-s
ton, is raised against any combinars
ton TO get really excessive prices,
that being held as censurable as are
efforts Of Wall street bears to de-:
press prices. Here and there, where
experience has Tot taught wisdom,
the affection idea is abroad, and
some few planters really favor a per-.
manent Scent basis for the staple.
The readiness with which the grow
ers favor conservatism in planting
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 cred
it system is passing, and now tne
growers are found in various stages
OF prosperity, from ability to pay on
old debts, and to lift mortgages TO
ability to lend money themselves.
Necessity to diversity, to divert
some energies from cotton growing
into the raising Of other crops, -
giving place to deliberateness in fol-s
lowing the policy as this stronger
financial condition of the Farmers per-
m;ts them to enlarge upon the wisdom
Of not depending upon one crop. Dt-9
e.sifcation, which implies more fer
ti,izing and greater attention gwen 20
the crops, began primarily for thou-
sands of growers in carrying out q
hos-and-hominy' campaign-that is' N
living on ones own farm IN "ahin'
supplies at home