The Raymer enterprise., 1912-04-11
FARMER WARNED BY BARRETT
President Of Farmers' Union Says One
Barrier Against Hard Times Is
Moderate Cotton Crop.


cotton or cotton harnesses the farmer
Will largely depend the prosperity Of
the southern states for 1912. and prob.
ably several years to come.
The battle between the two must
be fought out within the next few
weeks. Planting plans may as we'll
be arranged with cold-blooded facts in
view. 1t may be more convenient and
easy to put in your usual cotton acre
age. relying upon the other fellow to
do the reducing. But as surely as the
farmer falls before such temptation.
Just so surely will the penalty be ex.
acted not only Of him but Of his fel.
low-farmers, big and little. Of his wife
and bis children and in a way of ev.
cry commercial interest in the south.
ern states.
1t ought not to require long to de.
eide between bank accounts and bank.
ruptcy. between freedom from indebt-
edness and the tyranny of the mort.
gage, between full dinner table and
short rations, between more education
and better clothes for the family and
a hard deal for the wife and the little
ones.
The crisis thessouthern farmer con.
fronts is grave one, but Its solution
Is as simple as b C. In normal
times. even, the world will consume
only so much cotton at fair price. II
We produce larger volume than de-
mand will naturally absorb, prices are
going tumbling. This condition is In.
tensified at present, for the reason
that times are not normal. The sup.
ply of the staple brought forth last
year has not been taken up and di.
gested by the regular agencies Of con.
sumption. Some of 1t is going over
into the new season. Even now.
some OF the American and European
mills are contracting for deliveries Of
cotton next fall at low price.
In the face of such a situation there
Is just one course for the farmer, and
that Is to protect his own interests
by holding down the acreage. Do
not be fooled by the present upward
furry into planting for big yield
next fall. Prices are higher than they
were a month ago and may go yet
higher. But the coming of the new
crop on the market will tell the story.
and If 1t Is record.breaking crop the
producer will get the hot end Of the
deal as sure as shooting.
ANY business man would be placed
In the lunatic asylum by his friends
for pursuing the methods favored by
the average farmer. For by raising
moderate crop. at less expense and
labor, we get larger price than by
raising large crop at higher cost and
with more labor Yet ! could name
three or four years during which the
farmer has ignored this simple prin
ciple and invited disaster by putting
| In more cotton than he could even cul
:ivate.
A reduction of the cotton acreage
without using the land thus reduced
to produce feed-stuffs will, however
be suicidal folly. The southern states
can produce practically every item
needed for the support Of man and
beast Yet year after year the ma
jority of farmers have continued sin
gle-shooting on cotton and paying 9th
er section, for meat and bread out ol
the profits on the white staple. This
procedure means starting out each
year by giving needless promissory
| note against the revenues from the
south's greatest producer of income
We have had hard times In this
country and section before, and there
is no guarantee against their return
The south can absolutely erect bar
rier against the effects of panics by
restricting the cotton acreage SO tha,
1t will produce only what can be sold
ptohtapiyp VII lts
own farms all the food needed on
southern tables and In southern sta
bles.
We have piled up prosperity In the
past few years and cancelled large
part of the Indebtedness that once
strangled the development of the farm
er. Cotton reduction and diversified
ton in 1912 will continue that bene
fetal process. Bumper cotton yields
and buying food Of other sections will
paralyze the very sources of prosper
ity. and leave our people wholly un
protected from the ravages of any
financial storm that may sweep the
nation.
The farmer must decide his own
fate In this connection, and II his de.
cision Is q shortsighted or faulty one
he will cut sorry figure blaming
Providence for suffering essentially
self.inflicted.
CHARLES s. BARRETT.
TYniop Cifv IN #.