The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1910-01-06
A WARMING To FARMERS.
Danger of Being Tempted to Over Pro-
duCti0l IN Next Cotton Crop.

! SIZE VI Inv Cpttoii IioP 'hi- .,''i
has bad the most bullish effect
! on the market. This estimate was
lower than ans previous one, from
any source, Cor il puts this year S
crop II, only Il little over 10000
GOO bales. The previous most ac-
cepted belief had been that the
crop would be in the neigh5orhood
OF ii, 100000 bales.
While it is probable, in view OF
the fact that the Government es-
Inmates made at this TINE have uni
| formly been too large, that the
final total receipts will be in ex.
cess of this present estimate. 1t has
had the effect of raising the price.
There remains no longer any doubt
that cotton Will reach still higher
level, and it would not be ut all
surprising if it should 60 nearly
or quite to 20 cents before the end
of the season.
This rise in the price of cotton
is not good thing for the South,
and especially for the cotton grower.
This may seem strange view to
take of il. but Il iittir reasoning will
show that it is the correct one.
Ordinarily the higher the price of
staple, the better it Is fer those
who produce it, or whose affairs
are intimately rr2;:;ed to the pros
perity of the producers, which in
the case of cotton applies to the
South as a whole. Had the price of
cotton been as high as 1t is now,
or as it bids fair to rise, at the
beginning Of the season, 1t would
bave benefited the cotton-growers
and the South immediately.
But now very little cotton re-
mains in the hands of the farmers.
They have for the most part sold
their cotton as fast as it was ginned,
and the ginning is very nearly COM
pleted. How little is held by the farm
ers may be understood from the stocks
in the Augusta warehouses. Though
the receipts up to the present are over
"a, 900 bales ahead Of last seasons
to this date, the stock held in An
gusta is 81, 200 bales less, or less
than two thirds of last seasons
holdings. Comparatively little cot
ton is held by farmers, or by any
one else in the South, and any rise
in price now can therefore not bene-
fit the South much.
On the other hand, 1t may do
great harm. This it may do # the
farmers, melted by the high price
this year, increase their acreage next
year. Should a favorable crop follow
under such circumstances, it would
mean bumper crop and terrible
drop in price. Not only would the
farmers fail to get the high price for
which they had planted, but they
would have incurred expenses in
making this crop on the basis of
high prices, and probably also neg
lecled other crops to raise more cot
ton, Compelled under such circum-
stances to sell for a lower plice the
result would be disastrous. 1t would
set the farmers back two or three
years, aud would have a depressing
effect on the South generally.
For the past twelve years every
alternate cotton crop has been large
and small. For the last seven years
this alternately large and small crop
has been very decided. Under this
order the crop next year would be
large, and the price of course corre-
spondingly low.
If cur farmers will heed the les
son SO plainly apparent in all this
and just sit steady in the boat, plant
only the usual acreage IN cotton next
year and try to raise more corn and
Other things, high prices for cotton
o.,1