Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1907-09-19
THE COTTON CROP.
Or. W. W. Ray, Who Has Been Out
South West.
says Ii Is Much Shorter Than 1t Was
Last Season and That 1t Should
Sell Well

Dr. w. w. Ray. of Richland Coun-
ty, member from South Carolina of
the Cotton Associations executive
committee. has returned from Jack
son and gave out the following for
publication:
In responce to call for a meeting
or the executive committee of the
Southern Cotton Assosciation loft
Columbia on Tuesday morning. the
3rd at 1926.
examined, as well as cou1d from
the cars, the cotton and corn crops
from Columbia to Atlanta. These
crops L found to be exceedingly Moor
burnt up by the sun and rust, show
ed considerable until 1 reached Spar-
tanburg, there | saw a few crons
which were good, but the balance of
the way to Atlanta the crops were
away below the average, in conse-
quence of great drought.
saw nothing of the crop from
Atlanta to Birmingham i'm conse-
quence of darkness. But early next
morning began to inspect the crop
as we left Birmingham: and as far as
could see from the train, the cotton
anu corn crops throughout Alabama
ana mississippi were exceedingly poor
| as result of the same causes which
affected the crops Of South CaroIin.
and Georgia.
! reached Jackson, Miss. on Wed
nesuay afternoon. The next morn
ing the executive committee of the
southern Cotton Association held a
session in the Knights of Pythias hall
In Jackson. We had good attend
ance. L was very much impressed with
the personnel of the committees men
| OF high character, conservatives in
their views, but with no desire TO
make false statements of the condi-
tion of the crop
They evinced, to my mind. the
greatest care and painstaking in com
ing to their conclusions; they seem
ed TO have gone over the ground in
|
After comparing notes. the commit
tee, by large majority, decided that
the coming crop would not be over
twelve million bales-twelve million
five hundred, at the outside.
South Carolina reported conditions
about 10 to 15>per cent. better than
last year; Georgia reported about the
same condition as South Carolina:
North Carolina reported about the
same conditions as last year; Ala
bama reported conditions about %
TO 80 per cent. less than last wear:
Mississippi reported the crop materi
ally less than last year, as a result of
Imperfect stands, having to plant over
as many as four times. and in a great
many instances lots of the fields had
to be abandoned, as the cotton failed
to come up; the same conditions pre-
vailed in Louisiana; Texas reported
that they will be at least one million
bales or more shorter than last year.
on account OF the ravages of the boil
weevil; also a lot of the cotton did
not come up.
The area in cotton was much less
than that of last year, in consequence
OF the cotton not coming up; in
Arkansas they reported cotton in the
bottom lands as being in good condi-
ton; cotton on the hill lands was
poor. having suffered very much from
want OF rain and in consequence of
rust; Tennessee reported a reduction
from last year. The Indian Territory
and Oklahoma were not represented.
The committee, by a decisive vote,
stood for fifteen cents as the mini
mum price of cotton. They think that
the conditions warrant them in this
demand. The editor of the Cotton
Journal wrote an article in the Jour
nal, saying that fifteen cents should
be the price under existing circum-
stances. And an article appeared in
the Manufacturers Record comment
ing upon the article aforesaid, sus-
| tanning the position taken by the Cot
ton Journal
The committee also stood for twen-
| ty dollars per ton, as the minimum
price for cotton seed. member of
the committee, who was a practical
| oil mill man and an oil mill owner
said that this price was not exhorbi-
tant, but in fact. was just and fair
lone.
| am satisfied that this committee
is an excellent body of men. acting
with the proper spirit. with no desire
to unnecessarily advance the market.
and it is their firm conviction and
belief that the cotton will not exceed
the estimate made, and under exist
ing circumstances fifteen cents is not
large price for our cotton.
In Wow of the fact that all other
commodities have advanced in price
we must have good price for our
cotton in order that we can obtain
labor and compete with prices offered
| for unskilled labor in other enter
prises.
We were advised that the demands
of the Farmers Union were similar to
those of our committee. We urge all