The Carlisle independent., 1910-03-03
MAINTAIN PRICE FOR COTTON
Alabama Planter Urges Farmers to Keep Product of of Market Until
 IS Gents Is Reached.

ment for the cotton farmer to use his wits and show the world he is awake to his own interest to some extent at least.
 There is not shadow of doubt but the present crop is the shortest cot ton crop We have had in many years, writes an Alabama cotton planter in Southern Cultivator.
 Now, my dear brother farmer, are we going to throw to the four winds of the earth the opportunity we have in our hands or are we going to do like all other classes or occupations of men would do and gc what Is com- ing to us?
 Already we hear reports from the southern portion of the cotton belt that the farmers are rushing their cotton on the market Cotton is richly worth 15 cents this season, and we should do all In our power to se- cure this price to the producer, for certainly it will go to the farmers hands
 There are always some farmers who are so situated they have to sell, but this can be greatly reduced if they would only try to arrange to hold the cotton of the market In this section of the cotton belt we can carry our cotton to the warehouse, take the cer- tif1cate to the bank and borrow about ten cents a pound on our cotton which will only cost about one dollar a bale for 50 days; then we can renew for a+ bo Tn, these four months cotton will go from it's present price of about 12 cents to at least 15 cents, or gain of $15 a bale. This rise is just as certain to come as the cotton is held off the mar ket as it should be. I don't hear of or read of any sections of the cotton belt where the banks will not accept cotton certificates as collateral for loans. Oh, some say, there is mort sell it. This Is just what plays the havoc-this idea that we must sell because there is a mortgage on it. tn nine cases out of ten a man can borrow enough money on his cotton to pay off the mortgage and this Is the very thing to do.
 I have been very much in hopes the Farmers union would turn all its en- ergies during this fall and winter to getting the farmer to market his cot ton on the right principles this fall; and if it could succeed in doing this what lasting benefit it would be to the people! Two years ago it was no doubt the cause of the people holding their cotton and did much good, as the price was fairly good all through the season. But last year the people ap- parently paid no attention to the cries of the union and rushed the stuff on the market so fast until nearly all the crop was sold from 81a to g cents. held only five bales and made $50 by keeping these five bales and if I can keep five bales off the market there is no reason why hundreds of thousands of farmers cannot do the same thing.
 I have been watching the crop re- ports very close and I never have seen so many dead certain reasons for short crop. Drouth has ruined the | chances Texas had for a crop, and | LII OUI1 Has CQI LIC SlOP SuOlI III dti l the states. One thing we see very | little said about is the acreage. In | the spring at planting time the gov ernment reported a slightly less acre. l age than last year, but after this re- | port was made the floods and exces- | sive rains all over the belt except | Texas caused thousands upon thou | sands of cotton fields to be abandoned | because grass soon got it where it | was not worth working out This land | which was reckoned in the acreage | is not producing a bale. Another | great reason for short crop is there | is no top crop anywhere. Another 1 reason is the boil weevil has been | very aggressive in all his territory. | And one of the greatest of all is the | size of cotton bolls this season. have never seen in all my life so many | small, faulty bolls on the cotton as there are this year.
 When I begin to think of how I have changed my own little farm affairs in the past year, I can't help wondering why other farmers don't do the same thing, as it has been quite easy.
 One year ago I had two hogs to make my meat and lard the following year and also lacked 100 bushels corn to do me. This year has been the poorest crop year here in nine years, but I have twice as many hogs as can use and corn to fatten them. 1 more hay and fodder than all my stock can use.
 Another thing I want to warn the cotton farmer about and that is not | to give his seed to the oil mills. They | will be just as short as cotton is and | s25 a ton would not be an excessive | price on such a crop as this.