Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1909-07-07
LOOKS LIKE GOOD SUGGESTION.
#. Nj. Cary Writes Concerning Cotton
Crop and Prices.

>. b . i
Seneca, July 6.-Editor Keowee
Courier: It Is seldom my name ap-
pears In the public prints, as do
not care. for publicity of any sort;
but In view OF the present situation
concerning cotton feel constrained
to write this communication
AS is we'll known, the prospect for
the growing crop is not fiattering. the
condition in several of the cotton
states being very poor, and that the
price for old cotton Is now above 12
cents, while new crops are selling
above IL cents on the different ex-
changes of the country.
Ny conviction is that IL our peo-
pie could sell, say half Of what cot
ton they can reasonably count on
making for IL cents or better, to be
delivered as gathered in the fall, It
would be wise to do SO. Hold the
remaining one-half of crop to be sold
later, and in case the market goes on
higher, which may be the case IL the
seasons continue unfavorable as at
present.
The crop OF last season will foot
up at least thirteen and oae-half
million bales, and while have not
the fgures as to the average price
| or the crop, ] am satisfied nine and
one-half cents to the farmer ia a
liberal estimate as to what the far
mers received for the crop. II these
| figures are correct, 1t Is easily seen
that the crop sold for approximately
| six hundred and forty million dol
| lars.
A crop of twelve million bales at
| IL cents would amount to seven
| hundred and twenty million dollars,
| while crop of eleven million bales
at twelve cents would bring six hun
dred and sixty million dollars--in
one case crop of one and one-half
million bales less selling for eight
million dollars more, and a CROP of
two and one-half million less selling
Tor twenty million dollars more I
nave been in the cotton business
Tor mores than twenty years, and
during this time cotton in the fall
mas very seldom sold as high as II
cents, no matter what the size OF
| the crop.
Some OF our people remember
selling cotton to The Courtenay
Manufacturing Company several SEN
sons ago for 12 to 12K cents, and
when they hauled their cotton to de-
liver on these contracts little more
than 10 cents was being paid.
Lest | be accused Of having some
motive In writing this, let me saw
have not bought a bale of cotton to
be delivered in the fall, and so far
as | now know do not expect to. In
my experience many times condj-
tions such as exist at present have
existed. When little cotton was In
farmers hands, the crop growing
and prospect poor, the big mou,od
dealers all over the world would be
boosting cotton, while in the fall.
when high prices would help the
men who toiled to make the crop.
another story would be told.
| The Withholding by monied inter-
ests of funds to move the crop, a
threatened war In some three-cor-
nered little country in Europe, a
much bigger crop than at first count
ed on, would all be used to depress
the price, and our hopes for good
prices vanish into thin air.
! do not know that our local mills
are In position to contract ahead for
cotton as above indicated, but doubt
less If a sufficient number of our
farmers desired to sell ahead, our
mills would sell goods in advance to
cover all cotton bought, and thus
insure g fair price for at least a por-
ton Of the crop.
word on another line: The crop
In this section in many cases Is in
the grass and needing cultivation
DadIy. One OcOnee farmer Owen
Stone. on keowee river, ran his plow
a portion of nearly every night dur
ing the past week i'm order to catch
up, and now while the moon gives
light for great portion OF the night.
the familiar "gee" and "haw" is
heard on one farm in Oconee coun-
ty. Again, believe applying guano
alongside OF cotton to stimulate
growth and make up lost time would
be very helpful and pay better than
almost any previous season.
Yours truly, f. M. Cary.
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