The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1908-04-24
COTTON GROWERS URGED
TO REDUCE ACREAGE
Reduction of 25 Per Cent. and Diver
sification Held Out as Help for
Better Prices.

point since Jan. 1, 1903, except from
$$November to May of The big crop
year OF 1904-05, when it sold 2 cents
per pound lower than this. What has
caused this decline of 3 cents per
pound in spite Of the fact that the
cotton crop of the world is about d.
oO0,O00 Snort of last years crop9 The
only answer that I can find is "lack
OF confidence" The retailer is not
sbuying except as he needs the goods,
the jobbcr is doing the same, conse-
%quently the mills have no orders
Snhead. while last year, and for sever
SSal years past, they have had orders
fbookcd from three 70 SIX months IN
Sadvancc.
What causes this lack Of confidence? I?
They are afraid we will raise BUMP
er crop Of cotton again this year. Why
Iarc they afraid of large cropq Thcv
Sook at the past. In 1903 we had a
short crop and good prices, which
kas. followed by large acreage and
pod seasons and a bumper crop. The
xt year, l905-06, we had short
op and good prices, which was again
followed by large acreage and a
Dbumper crop. Had it not been for sna
September storm in the Mississippi
valley and the exceptionally good
trade the market would probably have
gone to 8 cents or under for thai crop.
we got 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 dur
ing planting time the acreage was cut
some and poor crops in Texas and
Louisiana enabled us to get 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 for cotton goods,
Knowing that with a large acreage
and fair season we would produce
mor's cotton 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 re-
port is ont in June or even before the
trade will know that thef& 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 advance
much faster than il has declined. The
result will be that You will market
crop of 1l,500,000 at an average of
at least $65 per bale, or total Of
about $750,000,000. If the weather
conditions should be unfavorable for
the growing crop and it should turn
out 100000 bales less it would Sell
for Is cents and bring total Of near
ly $800,000,00O, 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 100000. Suppose that you plant
the same acreage as last year and with
favorable weather we would likely
make anyway 100000, possibly
more. What would tne price be I'M
der the present trade conditions9 Not
an average Of 8 cents per pound and
perhaps lower. Say that it averaged
$40 per bale, the crop would bring
$520,000,000. at least $3OO,OOO,-
900 loss to the south. How to bring
about this reduction7
5# 1t is not too late yet to plant corn,
alfalfa, sorghum cane, millett 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 loss. Let
every planter that reads this article
at once arrange to reduce mis- own
acreage in cotton and show the article
to his neighbor, or better, call n meet
ing at every country school house in
the south and discuss this matter in
telligently, then go home resolved that
each one will DO his part. If you havo
any neignbors that will not reduce
send me their names and 7 will take
the matter up with each one person.
ally. This is no small matter, and I
hope that members Of the Southern