The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1911-04-14
GREAT MONEY CROP
Seventy Per Cent of Fleecy Sta
pie Comes From South.
Lands and Climate Exceedingly Well
Adapted to Its Production ana
Farmers With Intelligence and
Experience Do Their
Work Successfully.

Extracts From Address of s. A. Knapp
Delivered at Greenville. MISSY
What | have TO say to you is simply
plain talk to commoD-sense people
about matters that interest them.
have not come here to give you en-
couragement unless the facts sub
stantiate it. | have simply come to
tell you the plain truth, and / am in
a position to know the truth about
cotton production.
In the general cotton situation you
have some things to your advantage
not only here but throughout this
southern country. Seventy per cent
of the cotton Of the world is produced
In the cotton states OF the United
States. The two great necessities OF
the world as products of the soil are
food and clothing. 1t is seldom in
human history. if ever before. that
one nation has had a monopoly of
either of these great interests Such
is your peculiar fortune today that
you produce 20 per cent of the mate
rial that largely clothes the world.
and clothing is Just as essential as
the food supply.
Look for a moment at the increas-
ing demand for cotton. IL you will
note carefully you will observe that
il has doubled once in about % years.
We may estimate 100000 bales as
minimum supply on the part of the
United States for the worlds clothing
at the present time; then turn back
% years and we shall find that a lit
tie over 100000 bales were suffi-
cient; and % years prior to that
9. 900 900 bales filled the demand: and
% years before that ! 100000 bales
met the exigencies of the trade. If
we pursue the same lire for the fu-
ture. in 1882 it will require 26.00O. 900
bales, and IN 1854 1t will be necessary
for us to produce 50 900 900 bales of
cotton to meet the demands of com
merce.
opportunities for wealth that has
been known within the historic pc
Rod. Our lands and climate are ex-
ceedingly well adapted to the produc-
ton Of the fleecy staple, and the in
telligence of the farmers of the south
and their long experience with cotton
have equipped them to do the work
and do 1t well. Beside that. our com
mercial interests are founded on the
cotton staple. and 1t Is a tremendous
affair to undertake to change the en-.
tire economic conditions of a great
state or of several states.
The three main features of cotton
production which we urge are the
seed bed, the seed and the cultiva-
ton. 1 will not discuss these topics.
because you are all intelligent plant
ers and understand the importance of
having early-maturing varieties of cot
ton. and cotton that puts out fruit
limbs among the first branches. The
necessity OF keeping the soil in the
best mechanical condition requires
more or less rotation OF crops: other
wise diseases will attack the cotton
plants, which are liable to anthrac-
nose. to wilt, and to root-rot All of
these facts go to show that we must
change our methods. and we must
have more or less rotation of crops,
such as cotton followed by a corn
crop or a grass crop. because q GER
tain amount of humus must be kept
In the soil. This will require more
work per acre. and of course with the
present labor 1t means fewer acres
will be cultivated. We hear it said on
all sides that I'VE should diversity
and raise less cotton" I agree with
you We should diversity. but we
must raise more cotton per acre with
fewer acres to the crop. II will b