Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1907-06-12
A POOR COTTON OUTLOOK
Letter From Texas and Elsewhere
Produced-The Warehouse Plans.

= I
President E. D. Smith of the South
Carolina Cotton Association has -
sued q statement to the public N N
which he says that the outlook seems
.tB be for short crop. Letters are
gi1ena FROM Texas and Tennesseesst9
support this statement, which will be
of interest t0s4he entire South.
The statement issas follows:
EsHaving written to>the State pres-
idents as to the condition Of the crop
and the outlook, I want ia. give TO ;the iAses=
public q few of the replies that have haaNy1
come to ne froh men whose staafd-
ing iii their community attests their
integrity; therefore, what they say
may be relied upon.
"From Henderson, Texas Jss
Hickey; president Of thhe First Nat. +.
ionat bank; writes under date Of May
27, as follows: sThe outlook in Texas
is sorry indeed for cotton. East Tex
as has reduced her acreage fully 40
per cent, and many farmers are stll:
blowing up cotton and planting PEAS
and corn; many have planted three
times and still have a sorry stand.
The boil weevil is here in great MIN
bers, aid many farmers have no hopes
of making any cotton at all. So sou
can see Why they are teplantingIEin
something else. Middle TexasYthe
blackland district = has nearlysal
been replanted, and the crop wilkb
necessarily late. I talked with s9ne
farmers from Ellis county last Thurs
day and they told me they hadi 70
plant the second time, and are aot
done planting yet. Further west IN
Mitchell, Coleman. Taylor andfI
Green and that whole section, hhve
had no rain since December, and con-
sequently could hot plant eort1 opcot-
ton. If they make any in that section
it is yet to be planted. South Texas
was forced to replant. and, as a con
sequence, the crop is late, with much
complaint Of boil weeyil-are pure
turing the squares on all early cotton.
Farmers told me Saturday that on
early planting they find three OF four
to the stalk. So the general outlook,
in Texas is really bad.'
"T. C.. Long, from Jackson, Tenu.,
under date Of May %, writes in part
as follows: .The outlook for a cotton
crop in Texas is extremely bad. Tile
entire crop was planted over, and it is
not yet UP. Under very favorable
conditions we may raise half crop
This mornip,, mercury down to 40sde-
grees and frost visible. Yousca draw
your own conclusions.
esIhese two letters are in ksepisg
with those from Mississippi, Arkansas
Louisiana and Alabama, South Caro-
lima, North Carolina and portion of
Georgia seem to be best off while the
outlook in these States is certainly
below anything like an average crop.
The public will bear in mind that this
is the 1st Of. June. And since the
writing of these letters quoted torren-
tial rains have covered the entire cot
ton belt. We have been struggling
for three years to get the situation in
our hands. 1t seems as if Providence
has given us the opportunity to real
ize our hope. From the present out
look and from the principles involv-
ed it does seem as if the farmers aud
merchants would refrain from selling
cotton for fall delivery at price
which neither the outlook of crop
nor the present price of manufactur-
ed goods warrants. So far as the SOIL
thern Cotton Association in its rela,
tion to the cotton world is concerned
the majority of us do not propose tc
take advantage of a cotton famine
and the disastrous scarcity of cotton
to force the price to unwarrantable
heights; no more than we propose
when seasons are propitious and the
supply is over-abundant to allow the
price to be disastrously depressed.
AS I have often said before l want
this to be square deal. I want our
share of the profits that we are en-
titled to in being the source Of sup
ply for the worlds fiber.
The Warehouse Situation.
"Last week I was at st. Matthews,
and found that their warehouse is
practically completed, and Orange
burg county is still in limo, doing her
duty. On Aug. they will have
meeting of all the counties to go into
the question Of preparing for the COM
ing crop in detail. I shall be present
at this meeting and hope every farm
er in Orangeburg county and every
business man that can possibly he
present will be there, so that we can
start unitedly in our cooperation with
the other counties OF tile South.
"From York county C. E. Spencer
sends me q copy Of their application
for charter or their warehouse and
holding company. If space permit
ted I would Ike to give to the public
his entire munication as to the
progress of work.
"We ha' N hand a number OF
books of m mbership certificates,
bearing the seal of the association and
gotten up in attractive form, which
I hope the presidents Of the different
counties will supply themselves with,
so as to furnish each member paying
his dues q certificate, and keeping
a. list of their names. !
81 hope every county in the State
will oontinua on aotiva oamnaion of