The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1911-08-17
Market Cotton Crop Slowly.

Never has q better or more prom
ising opportunity to get full worth
of his product confronted the cotton
producer than now, says the Atlanta
Constitution. 1t is pointed oat in a
letter from c. J. Hayden, Of Atlanta,
writing form Manchester, England,
and published today, that the Eng
lish spinner has been and is still suf-
fering from the scarcity Of supply of
cotton. He is counting on the seasons
sons crop, which he has been told
will be the largest ever produced, to
recoup his losses. He is organized,
has all the money he wants at his
command and he is going into the
field with the opening Of the season
to beat down the price of the coming
crop and garner it in on the losest
possible basis.
Consensus of opinion among the
producers who are best qualified to
judge conditions and prospects, is
that this seasons crop has been
overestimated. 1t was pointed out at
the recent meeting of the Georgia
State Agricultural Society at Way
cross, that the tendency of tha season
has been to grow more weed than
boil and that the fruitage as COM
pared with the stalk, will 20 quite
disappointment. In a COMMUNICATION
published today, W. ]. Wingate, of
Meigs, Ca, states, further that this
seasons cotton is largely bottom
crop, which will mature early thus
fighting the danger of heavy market
ing in the fall months with nothing
to back it'up later in the seaso.
The too evident effect Of flooding
the market early in the season would
therefore be bring much lower
price for cotton thus sold tNan it is
actually worth based u:(on the real
crop outlook. Then there is the dam
age to the crop from the cotton cater
pillar in the west, whi-h, added to
that of the boil weevil is making more
serious inroods on the crop tnan have
yet been taken into consideration.
Thus, from the stadpoint of The sea-
sons crop, the producer haa an ad-
vantage which he can put to good use.
If he goes straight to market with
all his cotton in the beginning Of the
season. prices will go smash and the
foreign manufacturer will win, as he
is right now planning to do. Exper-
ience of past seasons has so we'll dem
onstrated this that it should be need
less ito give the producer warning
It has happened repeatedly and will
happen again, unless there comes
what must be almost a revolution in
crop marketing methods Gradual
feeding to the market of otton as
the manufacturer and the consumer
need it, and are prepared to take 1t
at the price it is actually "crth!
The foreign manufacturer wants
nothing better than the ficodiug Of
the market in theearly months o. the
season; he thrifes upon it. II Is bear
for the unfortunate results
of which the producer has only him
self to blame. 1t would Sc suicidal
business policy for the manufacturer
or the merchant to put the whole of
his product on the market at once;
the same policy spells disaster for
the producer of cotton or any other
agricultural product.
Farmers generally are in better
shape than they have ever been;
they owe less money and, with the
aid of the banks they can sell their
cotton during the season as the
price is right and save r.illions Of
dollars. This is plain business
and if the producers will
watch the market, in an organized
way, selling when they can get full
value and holding when heavy re-
ceipts or bear operations temporarily
depress the price, there is no ques-
ton that they will reap the reward.