The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-09-08
HOLD YOUR COTTON.
THIS IS THE ADVICE OF MIR. B.
HARRIS.

HARRIS.
President Of the South Carolina Far
mers Caion 20 the Farmers VIII,
Make. the Cotton.
Why is it that cotton has not reach
ed the minimum price set, Is cents
Is it too late? answer, No What
then, is the cause OF its being down
The producer. alone is to blame. II,
is ready at all times to listen to al
he hears about the bear side of cot
ton. but fails to look into the tru,
situation and the condition or tht
crop. He docs not realize that cottol
ia now scarcer than it has been il
twenty-five years, while the demand
is Just as great, wheE we consider the
Lsupply OF raw material. 1t must bt
remembered that last wears crop wa:
d; short more than four million bales
In view of this we can reach no other
conclusion but that the producer him
self is to blame for our not reaching
the minimum before this. FIe has be.
come frightened, at this MIn 0f the
! bear element. the spinner and SpecuI
lator, and has taken their assertions
as facts.
Their first bluff was the, mills rnn-
ming on short time. 1t was necessary
for them to dN this, as it was; iluptps-
sible for them to secure saw material
to run on. Last years short crrp
forced them to curtail, not their pro-
duction but them: consumption, Cot
ton was not to- be had. They IreEt
bluifed youin making you belieHe5hat
they could not self their goods. and
frightened you; again. While t1aesS
have goods stored in their own ware
houses. the commission houses III
New York and other centers have'les
oods than they have had in Nears.NoT
until the entire surplus is CONSUME
ed in these centers Will the goods be-
taken from the local warehouses.
want to impress upon the farm
crs that now is the time to hold your
old cotton. as we'll as your new. II
cotton is held off of the market
throughout the South for the next
sixty sixty days the brokers, and
specu!ators will be compelled to give
the price in order 10 fill contracts
sold to the spinners head. You can
do this by putting: your cotton IN
bonded warehouses and borrowing
money on it. Money is now plentiful
for legitimate purposes.
The continental mills are short OF
cotton and there IS demand for ac-
tual cotton from this source. Willie
the offerings are small 1t is getting
harder every day to buy cotton for
prompt shipment. The supply In the
American mills is not sufficient for
twenty days, if that long: The New
England mills will soon have to buy
otton or close down. They have been
buying from hand to mouth for the
last three months. know OF one
undred bales Of cotton sold last week
bv one mill Fifty bales of this week
to a mill that was CLOSED down, while
the other fifty went to anothc:" mill:
These two mills had to have this cot
ton to begin work with on the. 11ttr
inst. All the mills which have BEEN
closed down resumed operations last
Monday. From this we. assume that
trade conditions must De getting bet
ter. 1 hear from good authority that
all the mills in this section will soon
begin operating on full time. IT IS
understood that number OF mills
have sold their output ahead for ser-
eral months. Al together, the situa-
ton in milling circles is not as bad
as it is..reported. to- be. Generally
throughout the country the mills
would be running on full time If they
could get cotton to spin.
Now, as to the condition OF the
growing crop. We hear it stated from
Che bear side that we will make four
teen million bales this year, and that
cotton will decline to eight cents.
This is another great big blum, ana
it will frighten some producers. IL
is my honest. belief. based upon the
information at my hand, that the crop
of last Year. will not more than be
duplicated nAmother shortage IKE
last year will prodilce one of the
biggest cotton panics that the world
has ever known. and the tails OF our
shirts will have to be made shorter
to give every man a shirt.
Crop conditions in South Carolina
are notwhat they were two weeks ago
The crop is fully % per cent. on
This is due to too much rain in June
and early in July, followed by eXccs-
sive heat. 1t is impossible now for
tho ,Dlant ever to recuperate and
make a top crop.
In Texas reports say tha; the crop
has been damaged in sections ID! LOO
much rain. which in other sections
bc crop has been cut off considcraDi!
bv drought and the devastation OF
the boll weevil Texas cannot produce
ANYTHING approaching what is cons'd-
cred full crop
Alabama and Mississippi both re-
mort too much. rain. followed hy eA'
ccssively hot weather producing ruS'
black rot and shedding.