The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-11-03
Charlotte Observer.

10 Wnat the harvest Will be FOR Amer
lean spinners before another crop is
thrown upon the market. Are not the
| manufacturers North, East and South,
who are curtailing. manifesting too
little concern as to the direction of
the movement OF the present crop,
ask some while others are shaking
their heads. declaring that American
spinners will be caught short unless
rney corral some Of the spot cotton be.
fore all Of it goes abroad for export.
At best declare others. the signs Of
the times presage unequal distribution,
the effect of which Is always deleter-
ious to trade.
Incident to the general talk, a few
remarks on fundamental facts may
not be amiss.
The present crop is admittedly
short. There can be no question as to
this for the reports of ali authorities
agree. After q long period Of q hand
to-mouth policy on the part Of
the mills In buying. which in the light
Of past events must complicate mat
ters considerably there has come on
short crop, the effect Of which has
hardly yet begun to manifest ITSELF
Heretofore this season the Southern
farmers have marketed their cotton
almost as fast as they ginned it. This
was done for three reasons. to satisfy
pressing obligations and to make
needed purchases; to get the good
prices current Of 13 cents and to save
the loss in weight incident to holding
and storage. This accounts for the
relatively strong movement so far.
The greater part Of this crop has gone
abroad, the firms doing an export busi-
ness uniting In saying that the Eng
lish and continental demand has new
er been brisker. The effect Is that the
great bulk Of the surplus cotton of
the world today, as has been the case
more or less in the past, is in Lam
cashire whittier the majority of the
export business has been dire cted.
The American mills are now and have
been for some time, save in a few ex-
ceptions. pursuing the same policy of
hand-to-mouth existence. hoping
against hope for something to turn up
that would indicate an abundant yield.
These hopes have been blasted with
each succeeding government report, so
much so that now it is very generally
admitted that the yield is to be limit
ed and that the level of prices will be
maintained for fully year to come,
in fact until another banner crop is
marketed.
The Southern farmer is strange
citizen. For years he planted his cot
ton, mortgaged his crop and when the
harvest was gathered, took it almost
in lump to market and sold it for
what his merchant-creditor was will
ing to give him for it. He then exc
cuted another mortgage, if he didn't
have enough money left to carry him
through the winter, for the next years
crop, etc. And those farmers who did
not mortgage their cotton, rushed it
to market usually within few months
OF the opening Of the season and then
the price scared later. However, this
practice has changed in the past few
years. AS the result Of a campaign
OF education and experience, the far
mers are commencing to diversity
their crops, to market them more in
telligently, to raise corn, wheat and
stock at home. and in general to exer-
else Judgment and discretion in the
conduct Of their affairs. By reason Of
the extension Of the use of the rura.
telephone and the rural free delivery
service, the farmer now keeps in inti-
mate touch with the market and can
tell just When to sell best advantage.
New markets for farm products have
been opened up at home by virtue of
the extension Of the manufacturing
interests and there has been a steady
growing increase in demand for things
other ti.an cotton. Land which pre-
viously had teen used for the culture
Of cotton was put in wheat, corn and
truck, to the great profit of the far
mer.
The most independent man in the
country today is the farmer. He is in
deed king in the South. Of la,4 this
realization has come to him-that he
is really somebody after all aud it Mill
be hard for him to surrender the idea
There i3 talk now Of very shor. crop,
or 10 and 10 cents cotton, and there
are many farmers who after paving