The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1908-04-22
Important Notice 10 Farmers

since Jan. j, 1903, except from Novem-
Der to May of the big crop year of
1905, 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 4,500.0O 0 short of last
years crop? The only answer that /
can find is LACK of Confidence" The
retailer is not buying except as he needs
the goods, the jobber 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 confidence?
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 crop and good prices, which was
followed by a large acreage and good
seasons and a bumper crop. The next
year, 1866, we had a short crop and
good prices, which was again followed
byra large acreage and a bumper crop.
Had it not been for the September
storm in the Mississippi valley and the
exceptionally good trade the market
would probably have gone to eight cents
or under for that crop. We got a good
average price for the good grades in the
crop, and a large acreage was set aside
for cotton last season, but owing to the
weather during planting time the acre
age was cut some and crop poor in
Texas and Louisiana enabled us to get
a good price for the most of this crop.
A mont 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 a large acreage and
fair season W. would produce more cot
ton than the world needed and the price
of cotton goods would decline. They
are good business men and you can't
fool them.
How can we restore confidence? In
place of planting the same acreage as
last season in cotton plant 25 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 activity 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
advande much faster than it has de-
clined. The result will be that you will
market a crop of IL, 500, 600 at an aver
age of at least sos per bale, or a total
of about $3.50, 900. 900. If the weather
conditions should be unfavorable Tor the
growing crop and it should turn out a
million bales less it would sell for if-
teen cents and bring a total of nearly
$500, 900, 900, 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 $50, 600, coo. Sup
pose that you plant the same acreage
as last year and with favorable weather
we would likely make anyway 10, OOO,-
600, possibly more. What would the
price be under the present trade condi-
tons? Not over an average of eight
cents per pound and perhaps lower.
Say that it averaged $40. 90 per bale the
crop would bring $500, 600, 900, at. least
$500, 600, 900 loss to the South. How to
bring about this reduction?
1t is not too late yet to plant corn,
alfalfa, sorghum cane, millet or cow
peas for hay. Or it will pay you to let
the land lie idle for a season rather than
plant it in cotton at a loss. Let every
planter that reads this article at once
arrange to reduce his own acreage in
cotton and show the article to his
neighbor, or better call a meeting at
every country school house in the South
and discuss this matter intelligently,
then go home resolved that each n
will do his part. If you have any
neighbors that will not reduce send me
their names and I will take the matter
up with each one personally. This is
no small matter and | hope that mem
bers of the Southern Cotton AS ocia-
ton and Farmers Union will stand side
by side in this great fight. With a
heavy acreage Wall street will set the
price for our 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
reducing the acreage Is per cent. the
price advanced five cents per pound and
we can do it again. l will be glad to
hear from every farmer that reads this
and endorses it,.
Do you want to return to the old days
of five cent cotton? If not, join this
movement and we will make the South
more prosperous than ever.
j. A. TAYLOR,
Pres. National Ginners' Association.
Memphis, Tenn, April 18th, 1908.
Prof. X. A. DObsOn Reelected.