The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1908-04-26

cotton today has reached the low
/ est point since Jan. ] 1903, except
| from November to MAY Of the crot
year OF l9O4O5, when It sold tive
cents per pound lower than this
What has caused this decline OF
three cents per pound in spite OF the
( ct that the cotton crop Of the world
is about 4,5OOOOO short of last year.
crop? The only answer that | can
find is Lack Of Confidence" The re.
taller is not buying except as ne
needs the goods, the jobb,r 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
deuce? 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 1903 We had a short crol and good
prices which was followed by a large
acreage and good seasons and bum.
per crop. The next year, l9O5.OG. we
had "a short crop and good prices.
which was again followed by a large
acreage and a bumper crop. Had II
not been for the September storm ia
the Mississippi Valley and the eX.
ceptionally good trade the market
would probably have gone to eight
cents or under for that crop. We
got a good average price tor the
good grades in the crop and large
acreage was set aside for cotton last
season, but owing to the weather dur.
ing planting time the acreage was
cut some and crop poor in Tcxa. ana
Louisiana enabled US to get "A good
price for the most OF this crop. 4
month ago every 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 large acreage
aud fair season we would produce
more cotton than the world needed
and the prices of cotton goods would
decline. They are good business men,
and you can fool them.
How can we restore coniiden e ?
In place OF planting the same acre
age as last season in cotton plant 20
per cent less. AS soon as the acreage
report Is out in June or even before
the trade will know that there will
be a moderate crop raised this year
and we will have the old time actiy-
.ty in the cotton trade. Jobbers will
place their orders ahead to enable
hem to supply their trade and the
mills will contract in advance for
supplies OF cotton and the market
viii advance much faster than it has
declined. The result will be that you
Viii market crop of IL 800 900 at
IN average of at least S65 per bale.
)r total OF about $75O0OO.O 900. II
he weather conditions should be un
.ayorable for the growing crop and
{ should turn out million bales less
Il would sell for fifteen cents and
bring a total OF nearly $500, 900 900.
ana add to this the value of the feed
crops that can be grown on the
acreage intended for cotton and Il
VIII give us another $4,000, 600. Sup
pose that YOU plant the same acre.
age as last year and with favorable
weather We would likely make any
way 100000, possibly more. What
would the price beunder the present
trade conditions? Not over an aver.
age OF eight cents per pound and per-
haps lower. Say that 1t averaged $40
per bale, the bo2 would brfing $500
100000, at least s3O0OOO,O 900 loss to
the South. How 20 bring about this
reduction?
IL Is not too late yet to plant corn,
alfalfa, sorgum cane, millett or COW
peas for hay. Or 1t will pay you TO
let the land lie idle for a season
rather than plant it in cotton at
loss. Let every planter that reads
this article at once arrange to re.
iuce his own acreage in cotton and
show the article to his neighbor, or
better call a meeting at every coun.
try school house IN the South and dis.
russ this matter intelligently, then
90 home resolved that each one will
do his part II YOU have any neighb-
)ors that will not reduce send me
their names and | will take the mat
ter up with each one personally.
This is no small matter, and | hope
that members OF the Southern Cot.
ION Association and Farmers Union
"a III - Old H. a.