The Huttig news. (Huttig, Ark.) 1907-1955, 1912-11-23
A Record Cotton Acreage.

next year? Let US hope not; still
many replies to inquiries which the
writer has recently made point to
this conclusion. Even the most
casual observer must have noticed
that there is far less talk in the
papers this fall than last about the
organization of fruit and vegetable
growers associations. There is
the same difference towards other
lines of diversifcation and every
body seems satisfied with cotton.
Why is this? In a few instances
it may be due to dissatisfaction with
prices received or general results
obtained by those who diversified
last season. But this is not gen
orally the case. The rule was
good prices for nearly everything
raised this year except one fruit
peaches. The general re-
suits of Investigation in most
communities appear to have been,
in the main, quite satisfactory.
We are forced, therefore, to the
conclusion that the indifference to
other crops which farmer are now
manifesting in due principally to
the high prices cotton is bringing
this season. That, in fact, is in
perfect accord with the history of
Southern farming when prices of.
cotton go up everybody plunges in
to cotton, the demand is over sup
piled and prices go down. Then
comes scramble to get away from
cotton, an excess of other crops is
produced and We have more low
prices. 1t seems we can never
strike a balance between cotton
and the other products of the farm
1t seems now fairly certain that
we shall have very big crop of
cotton next spring. with very low
price for cotton next fall. For
goodness sake let US cut the cotton
crop short. Every farmer knows
that 100000 bale crop of
cotton will actually sell for larger
sum of money than 100000
bale crop. Besides, it costs much
less to produce the 100000
bale crop and there is much more
time left for other things.
When we are making a 6,OOO,-
900 bale crop of cotton we have
no time to give to the corn crop,
the hay crop, the meat crop, or
even TIE family garden Thous-
ands of farmers every year buy
Illinois and Iowa raised corn at rs
cents and S. a bushel that they
could produce at Is cents a bushel
and meat at | 5 cents to l8 cents
a pound that they could raise at 3
to 5 cents a pound. Hundreds of
farmers even buy canned veget-
ables at 5 cents quart that they
could produce at 25 cents bushel.
With such economy as this it is no
wonder that many farmers have to
fight tooth and nail to keep the
wolf from the door.
Let US have big crop of corn, a
big crop of oats, big crop of sweet
and Irish potatoes and fine veget-
able garden, instead of SO much
cotton, on the average farm next
year. Then let each farmer pro-
cure hogs enough TO make his
home supply of meat, and produce
his milk and butter, poultry and
eggs at home.
All this will insure the living at
home. Then by way of further
reducing the cotton crop let each
community plant for a few cars of
potatoes and put in several hun
dred acres of peanuts for the
market. They are better money
crop than cotton and just as ready
sale. This is the way to regulate
the cotton crop and cotton prices.
Make the living at home, then di-
vide the balance of our attention
between cotton and other money
crops.
L. A. MARKHAM, Com. of
Mo. Pac.-l. M. Rv.