The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1908-05-08
REDUCE COTTON ACREAGE,
PLANT Less and Get More for It
Read This Letter and Act on
Suggestions.
10 the Cotton Planters:


Il have received so many letters an
dorslng my efforts for reduction in
acreage from nearly every section oe
ne south that nave decided In con
tlnue the work "a ~ .7gnc.t writ"
another article OH similar lines that
Will be carried by the southern weekly
papers all during this month so that
every planter will have a chance to
read it. Cotton for October delivery
sold this week at eight cents per
pound. Can you produce it at profit
at this prace7 No. Then in order to
get profit on what you raise this
season you must plant less than you
intended planting at first. Reports
on the acreage issued so far show that
the acreage will be about per cent
larger than last year. This is proba-
bly, due to the new farmers that have
settled in Oklahoma and west Texas
putting i'll so much new land. We
must more than offset this increase
by reducing in the rest Of the belt.
1 again state that the main cause
for the decline in prices is lack Of
confidence caused by the fear cf a
large acreage which means, with good
weather conditions, large crop and
even lower prices than at present. Do
You want to grow crop at an actual
loss7 If not reduce your acreage;
then if your neighbor persists in
planting large acreage and you have
to sell your crop at loss you lose
less than he. If by reducing You add
$300,000000 to The wealth Of Tire
South you will not only receive a
part of this but you can feel that YOU
did your part to add to the prosper
ity Of the country.
1t is good business to plant a crop
where there is no profit in it9 No.
Then let every reader at once plant
part Of his present acreage intended
Tor cotton in some feed crop, or let
the land lie idle one season as you can
Get more money for the crop grown
on the part you do cultivate. If You
have it already planted do not work
1t out as it will be labor thrown
away.
Which do You prefer? TO plant
your present acreage and get from Z
to cents per pound or reduce it and
get III to ~ cents and possibly higher.
The present contemplated acreage
and good weather means a return to
the old days Of cheap cotton of ten
years ago while a reduced acreage
means a continuance of the prosper
ity of the past few years.
Let every planter that reads this at
once make up his mind that he will
not be the cause Of Wall Street Bears
fixing the price for your crop as they
will do with a large crop. Go to
work at once to reduce your own
acreage and see as many Of your
neighbors as possible at once and ges
a united action in this matter as this
IS the only way We can be independ-
ent and prosperous.
1 urge every merchant and banker
throughout the South to advise their
customers to reduce their acreage as
it means loss to you as well as to
, the planter to return to the old days
of low prices again. Tt will pay YOU
to write a circular letter and send it
to every planter you have dealings
with urging q reduction in acreage.
Don't delay but get busy as there is
no time to loose. We must have re-
duction in acreage to save the south.
1t is as much your duty as mine to
help i'll this work. I get nothing for
it.
l. again urge the members Of the
Farmers Union and Southern Cotton
association to work together for re-
duction in acreage which means much
higher prices for the balance Of this
crop and all of the next one, as we'll
as an Influence on future crops. I
want to hear from every section of
the belt as to what You are doing in
the matter. Write me and I will give
you all the assistance I can. Don It
delay but get busy now.
J. a. Taylor,
President National Ginners Associa-
tion.
Memphis. Tenn, May list, 1908.