The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1908-04-25
CHEAP COTTON.
An Important Letter Issued by President
Taylor Of the National Girners'
Association.

Cotton today reached the lowest
point since Jan. /, 1908, except
from November to May of the
big crop year of 1904 '05, when il
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,-
900 short Of last years Gro p2
The only answer that / can find is
Lack Of Confidence. = The Re-
taller 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 adj
vance.
What causes this lack of conf
denceg 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 large acreage
and good seasons and a bumper
crop. The next year, 1906 '06,
we had a short crop and good
prices, which was again followed
by a large acreage and a bumper
crop. Had it not been for the
September storm in the Mississip-
pi Valley and the exceptions lily
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
acreage was cut some and puor
crop in Texas and Louisiana en-
abled us to get good price for
the most of this crop. A month
ago every indication was that we
would have a large acreage this
season, and the people did not
care to place avy:.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 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. Job
bers 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 it has declined. The
result will be that you will market
a crop of II, 800, 900 at an average
of at least S65 per bale, or a total
of about $750,000,000. It the
weather conditions should be un-
favorable for the growing crop
and it should turn out a million
bales less it would sell for fifteen
cents and bring a total of nearly
$500. 100000 and add to this the
value of the feed crops that car
be grown on the acreage intended
for cotton and it will give US an
other $500, 100000. Suppose thai
you plant the same acreage as last
year and with favorable weather,
We would likely make anyway
13, 600, 900, possibly more. What
would the price be under the pres.
ent trade conditionsg Not over
an average of eight cents per
pound and perhaps lower. Say
that it averaged $40 per bale, the
crop would bring $500, 900, 600, at
least $300,O00,000 loss to The
South. How to bring about this
reductions
1t is not too late yet to plant
Corn, Alfalfa, Sorghum Cane,
MilIett 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 al
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 10 the South and dis,
cuss this matter inteIligentIy, ther
90 home resolved that each one
will do bis part. If you have any
neighbors that will not reduce,
sehd me their names and will
take the matter up with each one
personally. This is no small mat
ter, and / hope that members oI
the Southern Cotton Association
land Farmers Union will stand
| side by side ia this great fight.
With a heavy acreage Wall Street
will set the price for our cottor
crop; with a light acreage we car
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 pei
cent. The price advanced FIVE cents
Iper pound, and we can do II
lagain. / will be glad to hear
from every farmer that reads this
land indorses it.
Do You want to return t0 thf