The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1910-03-17
MAINTAIN PRICE FOR COTTON
Alabama Planter Urges Farmers tc
Keep Product Of Of Market Until
IS Cents Is Reached.

.
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 get 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 Is cents this season. and
we should do all in our power to Sc
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 off the market. In this section
of the cotton belt we can carry our
cotton to the warehouse, take the GER
tificate to the bank and borrow about
ten cents a pound on our cotton which
will only cost about one dollar bale
for 60 days; then we can renew for
60 days more at the same price. In
these four months cotton will go from
its present price of about IL cents to
at least Is cents, or a gain of SIS a
bale This rise is just as certain to
come as the cotton is held off the mar
ket as it should be. | 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 a mort
gage on my cotton, SO | will have to
sell it. This is just what plays the
havoc-this idea that we must sell
because there is a mortgage on it.
In 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.
l 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 Cast 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 al the
crop was sold from S12 to 8 cents.
l held only five bales and made $50
by keeping these five bales and If
can keep five bales off the market
there is no reason why hundreds Of
thousands of farmers cannot do the
same thing
| have been watching the crop re-
ports very close and / never have
seen so many dead certain reasons for
a short crop. Drouth has ruined the
chances Texas had for a crop, and
drouth has cut the crop short in all
the states One thing we see very
little said about is the acreage. In
the spring at planting time the gov
eminent reported a slightly less acre
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
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 | begin to think of how l have
changed my Own little farm affairs in
the past year, can't help wondering
why other farmers don't do the same
thing, as it has been quite easy.
One year ago l 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 | have twice as many hogs as |
can use and corn to fatten them,
more hay and fodder than all my
stock can use.
Another thing l 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
SIS a ton would not be an excessive
price on such crop as this.