The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1908-04-25
Reduction OF Cotton Acreage Urged.

President j, "A. i ay IOf O. In0 IN d.
tional Ginners' Association is mail I
I ing to the press of this section a
circular on the cotton situation, which |
is not only of interest to farmers, but
of vast Importance to all handlers OF
the staple. The letter is in substance
as follows:
10 the Cotton Planters of the South:
Cotton today reached the lowest |
point since j an. /, 1903, except from
Novem Der to May Of the big crop year
| OF l9U4-05, when it sold Z cents per
pound lower than this. What has
caused this decline Of ) cents per
pound, in spite of the fact that The
Cotton crop of the world is about
4, 800, 900 bales short OF last years
eros: The only answer | can ind is:
| lack of confidence" The retailer is
not buying except as he needs the
goods, tbs iobber is doing tine 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 confidence:
/ They are afraid we will raise a
| bumper crop OF cotton again this year.
| Why are they afraid OF large crop?
| They look at the past. In 1903We had
short crop and good prices, which
was followed by large acreage and
| good seasons and bumper crop.
The next year, 1905 06, we had a short
crop aud good prices, which was
again followed by large acreage and
a bumper crop. Had il not been for
J The Septen Der storm in the MisSIS-
sippi valley and the exceptionally
/ good trade the market would probably
/ have gone to = cents or under for til al
crop. We got good average price
| Tor the good grades in the crop, and
/ a large acreage was set aside for
/ cotton last season, but owing To the
| weather during .piantlpg tIn4e The
/ acreage was cut some and the crop
poor in Texas and Louisiana, which
i enabled US to get u good price for the
most of this crop. A month ago
every indication was that we would
have large acreage this season, and
the people did not care To place heavy
orders Tor cotton goods, knowing that
with d large acreage and fair season
we would produce more cotton tnan
the world needed and the price OF
/ cotton goods would decline. They
are good business men, aud you can't
/ fool them.
/ How can we restore confidence? In
/ place OF planting The same acreage
| as last season in cotton plant % pert
| cent less. As soon as The acreage
report is out in June or even before,
the trade wifi know that there will be
| moderate crop raised this year and
| We will have the old-time activity in The
cotton trade. Jobbers will place their
orders ahead to enable them to supply
| their trade, the mills will contract in
| advance for supplies OF cotton and
the market will advance much faster
/ than it has declined. The result will
be that you will market crop OF
i IL 800, 900 bales at an average of at
| least 500 per bale, or q total of about
$3.50, 0OO, 900. II the weather eoDdi-
| lions should be unfa7orable for the
| growing crop and it should turn uut a
million bales less it would sell for Is
cents and bring total Of nearly
$500, coo 900. Add to this the value of
the iced crops that can be grown on the
| acreage intended for cotton end it will
| give Us another $50, 900, GOO. Suppose
that you plant the same acreage as last
year. With favorable weather we
would likely make anyway 5000, 900
i bales, possibly more. What would the
price be under the present trade con-
ditions? Not over an average of 8
| cents per pound, and perhaps lower.
! Say that it averaged $40 per bale: the
/ crop would bring $500, 100 eco, at least
/ $500, 900 600 loss to the south. How to
! bring about this reduction:
It is not too late yet TO plant corn,
alfalfa, sorghum cane, miliet or cow
j bau N will
/ let the land lie idle for season rather
4 than plant it in cotton at a loss. Let
1 every planter th at reads this article at
| once arrange to reduce his own acre
| age in cotton and show the article TO
! his neighber, or, better, call a meeting
I at every country scho0ihouse in the
| south and discuss this matter intelli.
gently, then go home resolved that
each one will do his part. IF you
have any neighbours that will not re-
duce, send me their names and | will
take the matter up with each one per-
sonally. This is no small matter, and
/ hope that members Of the Southern
Cotton Association and Farmers
| Union will stand side by side in this
great fight. With a heavy acreage
Wall street will set the price for cur
cotton crop; with a light acreage we
can get our own price within reason.
Don't delay, but get busy at once.
| There is plenty OF time yet if you will |
only do your part. In 1905 By reduc |
| ing the acreage Is per cent the price |
advanced cents per pound, and we
can do it again. [ will be glad to
hear from every farmer that reads |
this and indorses it.
Do you want to return to the old |
days of 5 cent cotton? If pot, jain |
this movement, and we will make the |
south more prosperous than ever.
j. A. TAYLOR, President,
Ma ional Ginners' Associ alton.
Memphis, Tenn, April Is, 1908.
TEIrr,;,,s. q r,.,,, II..,,ro