The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-10-16
BY II. s. Reid. Editor Cotton Journal.

the South will be the richest portion
Of the United States. This statement
sounds strange in the ear o. 'he old
time Southerner, but will be looked
upon with credence by the man Of af-
fairs North. East and West No 9TH
er section Of the United States can
present to the traveller such a galaxy
of opportunities, such a climate, such
soil, such water power, and, no where
else in the world can the people
of the world look for that great
necessity. cOtton--the most essential
single product in all the enormous
tones of catalogues. enumerating tile
great number of essentials grown
There are fundamentally but tao
necessities. one being that which will
prevent starvation and the other
something to protect the human body
from the burning sun and the freez-
ing winds. There are many things
capable of keeping the stomach fed,
but there is not enough wool, silk,
hemp and furs in the world to clothe
the people. Cotton is the one thing,
and 1t Is demanded by the half civil
lized Hottentot and the most aesthetic
lad, from worlds end to worlds
end.
The condition of the cotton indus
try in the South is such as to warrant
optimistic calculations in estimating
Southern prosperity during the forth
coming months, and, for that matter
during the years and during the cy-
cles of time to come. When the bus
mess world as represented in the
South realizes the Importance of
financing the crop, that is to say,
make the needfuI arrangements for
handling the crop commercially, thus
insuring its common sense marketing,
the wave. not ripple, of prosperity
which will then sweep across the land
from Virginia to Mexico. will be of
such grand magnitude and force as
to cause the world to look upon
Dixie as the one country on earth
standing out alone in fits wealth and
corresponding influence.
Tho Way Cotton is Consumed.
The consumption Of cotton by the
mills Of the world aggregated some
100000 bales in 1908. Of which the
Southern States contributed more
than 100000 bales. The demand
for raw cotton Is SO keen 1t will re-
quire 1S.b00.o00 bales OF American
cotton of the growth Of 1909. and II
that amount cannot be had, some Of
the mills will Of sheer necessity be
compelled to close down or curtail
their output because there Is no 9TH
er place In the world to draw this
supply from.
or the supply produced In 1908 the
United States produced 66.4 per cent,
India 14.s per cent Egypt 6.5 per
cent. Russia 4.3 per cent. China 81
per cent, Brazil 2.2 per cent, and all
other countries 2.6 per cent The cot
ton entering Occidental commerce is
that produced in America, Egyut,
and South America. The Indian crop
lis consumed in India. Japan, the far
Orient and In Continental Europe to
an extent. and. England took $4,000
bales of the 1908 crop. Thus 1t will
be seen the part played by Dixies
cotton is leading one to such an ex-
tent that without 1t the human body
of the world would go unclothed.
There is no substitutes; of the six
leading textile f1bres cotton represents
"a per cent in quantity. wool 14.5
jute IA, Flax 10, Hemp 7, and silk
0.5.
Big Difference to Planter.
These tiresome figures are present
ed for the sole purpose of convincing
without argument, the Importance
OF our imperial product. with the
hope that great attention will be paid
to the marketing this fall. thus giving
the producer and the Southern busi-
ness man the full benefit of the crops
true value.
We do not advocate nor are we dis
cussing the holding of cotton for alb
normal prices. but we are urging the
producer to market his crop evenly
through the year and we urge the
business man to aid in that sensible
move. BY marketing evenly through
the year the farmer may expect his
income to be increased some SO 1-3
per cent, or his $500 crop made to
yield $400. This being true can the
South AFFORD to postpone making ar