The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1909-08-11
by A. +. Chambers.

MEMPHIS, Tenn, Aug. IL
With a short crop-the shortest
in 10 years-King Cotton is still
king south of the Mason and Dix
on line, and the planters, seeming
prosperity in every breeze, look
forward to a bonanza year.
With the west proud of its gi-
gantic output this year of wheat
and corn, the south, lacking a
bumper crop, expects to share Just
as heavily in the prosperity of the
harvest moon.
It's the price that does 1t. Fiji
teen-cent cotton is In sight for
this year, and 15-cent cotton
spells gold.
1t used to be the south only got
5 cents a pound for its cotton.
These were the dark days for the
southern planter-when each
years crop was mortgaged before
it was planted, and when a
planter counted himself lucky if
he broke even after a season of
bitter work and labor.
But the world was learning
more and more to use cotton.
And the United States had a prac-
teal monopoly on the raising of it..
The demand rose, the price rose,
and a new day set in for the south.
With 10-cent cotton the south
paid Its mortgages, Cancelled it's
debts, began to put money in the
bank. Good times had come.
With 15-cent cotton the south
country will be swept up to new
heights of prosperity. What mat
ter the short crop? That but
helps the price climb. It's the law
of supply and demand.
The south can raise 100000
bales at 15 cents a pound. Much
more profitably than 100000
bales at 10 cents a pound.
The government report on July
% showed the condition of the
crop to be 71.9 per cent, as COM
pared with the June report of IA
per cent, and the July. 1908, re-
port of SO per cent. The govern
ment gathers its statistics from
every portion of the cotton re-
gion, and its report is usually re-
garded as being as near the
truth as it is possible for human
agencies to come.
Texas, the greatest cotton pro-
ducing state in the country, us
ually sends about 100000 bales
to market. but long droughts have
killed and retarded the growing
cotton this summer to such an ex-
tent 1t is estimated that Texas will
fall short of her usual bumper
crop by 100000 bales.
While drought has been war
ring against King Cotton on the
plains of Texas, the Mississippi
delta, the richest spot In America,
has been visited at different
times with excessive rains and tur-
bulent floods, which have drown
ed the cotton lands and made re-
planting a necessity.
Cotton Is planted early in the
spring and grows as fast as corn.
1t is a hardy plant and needs
only plenty of rain and a warm
sun. The only cultivation neces-
sary is to keep the weeds from
choking out the young cotton
plants.
The frequent rains In the delta
this spring made it impossible to
keep the weeds out of the cot
ton, and 1t is estimated much
acreage was abandoned on this
account. Lately in this same re-
gion planters have experienced al
lack of rain, just when the grow
ing plants need 1t most.
Cotton experts estimate this
years crop at 1900, 900 bales,
unless favorable weather during
the rema inder of the summer i'm
proves the condition of the crop
far beyond expectations. This will
be something like 100000 bales
short of last years crop, which
amounted to nearly $4,000. 900
bales.
But there is no sorrow and
waiting In Dixie. II Is predicted
that the price may go to is cents
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