The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-04-28
SOME GOOD REASONS.
WHY THE COTTON ACREAGE
SHOULD BE REDUCED.

A li.I Big Crop This, Year Means Five
Cent Cotton and Hard Times For
the South.
The following circular letter has
been sent out by Mr.. J. A. Taylor,
president Of the National Ginner's
association:
Cotton has reached the lowest point
since Jan. 1, 1908, except from No
vember to May of the big crop year
of 19O4-O5, when it 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
4,50O,0O short of last years crop?
The only answer that I can find is
Lack of Confidence" The retai'er
is not buying except as he neads the
goods, the jobber is doing tn esame,
consequently the mills have no orders
ahead, while last year, and TO-. sew
eral years past, they have hau o.
ders booked from three to six months
in advance.
What causes this lack Of conf.
deuce? They are afraid we will raise
asbumper crop Of cotton again this
year. Why are they afraid of large
crop? They look at the past. In
1903 we had a short crop and good
prices, which was followed by large
acreage and good seasons and a bum
per crop. The next year, 1905-06,
we had short crop and good prices,
which was again followed by a large
acreage and bumper crop.
Had it not been for the September
storm in the Mississippi valley and
the exceptionally good trade the mar
ket would probably have gone to
eight cents or under for the crop. We
got good average price for the good
grades in the crop, and large acre
age was set aside. for cotton last sea-
son, but owing to tn eweather dur
ing planting time the acreage was cut
some and crop poor in Texas and
Louisiana enabled up to get a good
price for the most of this crop. r
A month ago every Indication was
that we would have large acreage
this season, and the people did not
care 10 place heavy orders for cot
ton goods, knowing that with a large
acreage and fair season we would
produce more cotton than the world
needed and the price of cotton goods
would decline. They are good busi-
ness men and you can't fool them.
How can we restore confidence? In
place of planting the same acreage
as last season in cotton liant rs per
cent. less. AS soon as thc acreage re-
port is out in June or even before
the trade will know that there will
be 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 and the
mills will contract in advance for
supplies of cotton and the market
will advance lch faster than it has
declined.
The result will be that you will
market a crop of 11,5OO,OOO. If the
weather conditions should be unfav-
orable for the growing crop and 1t
should turn out a million bales less
it would sell for Is cents and bring
a total of nearly ssOO,00O,OOO and
add to this the value Of the feed crops
that can be grown on the acreage
intended for cotton and it Will give
us another s50,0O0.0OC.
Suppose that you plant the same
acreage as last year and with favor
able weather we would likely make
anyway 100000, possibly more.
What would the price be under the
present trade conditions? Not over
an everage of cents per pound and
persaps lower. Say that 1t averaged
$40 per bale the crop would bring
s520,OOO,0OO; at least 100000 600
loss to the south. How to BRING
about this reduction?
1t is not too late yet to plant corn,
alfalfa, sorghum cane, millett or cow
peas for hay. Or it will pay you 10
let the land lie die for a season
rather than plant in in cotton at a
loss. Let every planter that reads
this article at once arrange to re-
duce his own acreage in cotton and
show the article to his neighbor, or
better call a meeting at every coun-
trv school house in the south anu
discuss this matter intelligently, then
60 home resolved that each one Will
do his part. -,
If YOU have any neighbors that VIII
not reduce send ME their names ana
7 will take the matter up with eaCh
one personally. This is no small
matter. and | hope that members CT
the Southern Cotton association and
the Farmers Union will stand side
bv side in this great fight. with a