The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-02-06
ONLY SURE ROAD
To PROSPERITY
Farmers Should Make Home
Supplies and Then Raise
All the Cotton Possible
THE ROAD TO PROGRESS
NOT IN REDUCING ACREAGE

NOI IN REDUCING ACREAGE
The Only Sort Of Reduction Of Acre
age That Is Wise is for Every
Farmer First of All to Raise His
Own HI me Supplies, and That WEI
Automatically Reduce the Acreage
OF Cotton.
There is only one sure road to
prosperity" said a prominent and
successful business man and manu-
facturer. who is also a big farmer,
and that is for farmers to raise as
big crops as they can. Do not preach
cutting Gown production, for sucn a
course means reduced income and
going backward. The Rock Hill plan
may do for some States, but such re-
ductioH is not wise for \ortn Caro-
lima. Encourage farmers to make
their W supplies at home, and then
to split tf'eir shirts growing I'll :he
money G they can. That's tire
only road 20 progress and pr ,spcil.y."
Continuing, that gentleman aid
Il think our folks are going too
far. For twenty orthirty years |
have been advocating raising home
supplies. That would automatically
reduce the cotton crop. To under
take to reduce the acreage in North
Carolina without making u own
supplies would retard among
the farmers. In other words, this is
the first year we have ever made a
million bales OF cotton i'm North Car
DINA. l favor staying in that class
of large production for this reason:
North Carolina comes nearer manu-
featuring all the cotton she raises
than any State in the Union. Last year
she manufactured 696,987 bales. She
has 3,363,706 spindles, which will re-
quire nearly 500. 900 bales Of cotton
this year.
North Carolina is the only State
in the South hat is furnishing the
home market with all the white cot
ton raised in the State. Now, we are
going in and trying to apply the rule
. that governs Texas. Texas only con
sumes @41,31O bales and raises foul
million bales. Texas has forty days
advance OF North Carolina and sells
its early matured cotton at a higher
price than we can get for ours later
on. So the farmers should raise theil
own supplies and then raise all tn
money crops Of cotton, tobacco ant
peanuts possible in North Carolina
!, To reduce acreage. instead Of max
ing progress, would retard progress
: in this State. Our population is In
creasing every year n We will re
quire more money than ever befor
and hence each family should loo]
out and get all the money they can
after making their own supplies.
This year the farmers had to
much advice about holding cotton.
has lost the farmers in the Sout'
millions Of dollars. The Commis
- sioner Of Agriculture in this Stat
said the cotton would not exceed 900,
Of 900 bales. There is already gimme
1e in this State $4,000 bales and W
y will gin over one million bales. The
20 advised holding for IA cents. Ever
~ bale Of white cotton in North Care
NJ lima could have been sold from II
or IL cents because the mills wanted
al early and were willing to buy ahea'
We offered the farmers Of our count
- IL cents for every bale of white co
ton they delivered by December Is
The offer was made in July, and, b
cause old cotton was selling for IA
- they wanted that much and WOu
not take it. The farmers listened
Al so much advice hat was given
on them they lost the opportunity
selling on a higher priced marke
-, and Wnon the lTduc BEGAN W IcalI
what an enormous crop 1t was, Il
price. began to reccde and the We,
80 cotton the farmers nave been getti1
ne s "a to 8 IL cents for they cou
he have sold for II and II cents.
MS will ;p,poyarish folks to reduce Il
r. acreage unless they make their hon
- supplies and reduction will autonla
cd ically follow raising the supplies
III the farm.
s'The same rule as regards colt,
applies to tobacco. North Caroll1
eS. hooo, f,ctoriec make much tOb3
$1,000 h.xa ho-
go. co ~ ~
in. markets III AdttoiicS q" HeiA NS
at- doors. as do the cotton
a '"rhese far Southern States have
heavy freight rate against them
compared to ours, and il nybod
'ur goinr to cut the acreage, let tho
ny far off from the cotton mills do