The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1908-04-29
PLANT LESS COTTON.
Reasons Why the Cotton Acreage
Should be Reduced.


been sent out by Mr. ]. A. Taylor,
president Of the National Ginner's
associations:
Cotton has reached the loves. point
since Jan. I. 1903. except from Mo-
vc0ber to May Of the big crop year
of 1s04-5. when 1t sold two cents per
pound lower than this. What has
caused this decline Of three cents per
pound In spite Of the fact that the
cotton crop Of the world is about A.
100000 bales short of last years
CROP The only answer that can
find is Lack of Confidence" The
retailer Ii not buying except as he
needs the goods. the jobber Is doing
the same. consequently the mills have
no orders ahead. while last year, and
for several years past they have had
orders booked from three to six
months in advance.
What causes this lack of conf
dence? They are afraid we will raise
a bumper crop Of cotton again this
year. Why are they afraid Of a large
crop? They look at the past. In
1908 we had short crop and good
prices. which was followed by q large
acreage and good seasons and a
bumper crop. The next year, f9O6-e,
we had short crop and good prices,
which was again followed by q large
acreage and bumper crop. Had it
not been for the September storm in
the Mississippi valley and the excep-
donaliy good trade the market would
probably have gone to eight cents or
under for the crop. We got a good
average price for the good grades in
the crop. and q large acreage was set
aside for cotton last season, but ow-
Ing to the weather during planting
time the acreage was cut sor.e and
crop poor In Texas and Louisiana en-
abled US 70 get good price for the
most Of this crop. A month ago ev-
cry indication was that we would
have a large acreage this season, and
the people did not care to place heavy
orders for cotton goods knowing
that with 4 large acreage and 'faif
season we would produced more cot
ton than the world needed and the
price OF cotton goods would decline.
They are good business men. and you
can't fool them.
How can we restore confidence? In
place Of planting the same acreage as
last season In cotton. plant rs per
cent. less. AS soon as the acreage re-
port b out in June or even before
the trade win know that there will
be a moderate crop raised this year
and we will have the old time activ-
ity In the cotton trade. Jobbers will
place their orders ahead to enable
them to supply their trade ana the
mills will contract in advance for sup
plies Of cotton and the market will,
advance much faster than 1t has do
clined. The result vii; be that you
will market a crop Of 11.500.000. If
the weather conditions should be un-
favorable for the growing crop and
1t should turn out a million bales
less 1t would sell for l5 cents and
bring total OF nearly $500. 100000,
and aid to this the value Of the feed
crops that can be grown on the acre
age intended for cotton and 1t will
give US another $50.0Oo.O 900. Suppose
that you plant the same acreage as
last year and with favorable weather
we would likely make anyway 13,O00,-
600. possibly more. Whet would the
price be under the present trade con-
ditions? Not over an average of S
cents per pound and perhaps lower.
Say that 1t averaged $40 per bale the
crop would bring $520.O0O.O at
least 100000, 900 loss to the south.
How to bring about this reduction?
1t Is not too late yet to plant corn,
alfalfa, sorgham cane, millet or cow
peas for hay. Or it will pay you to
let the land lie idle for season
rather than plant 1t in cotton at a
loss. Let every planter that reads
this article at once arrange to reduce
his own acreage in cotton and show
the article to his neighbor. or better
call meeting at every country school
house in the south and discuss this
matter intelligently. then go home re-
solved that each one will do his part
II you have any neighbors that will
not reduce send me their names and
l will take the matter up with each
one personally. This is no small mat
fer QnI hnno thot ~, q -, ba~o ne 81, n