Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1913-02-26
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1913
CUT DOWN THE COTTON CROP.
Commissioner Watson Writes on the
Cotton Acreage.

Tho following address to the far
mers of the South has been issued
by Commissioner Of Agriculture f..
j. Watson:
TO the Farmers of the South:
The cotton growers of the South
have passed through two OF the
most trying years in the history of
cotton. At this time last year those
who have been in the forefront of
the fight TO maintain a living price
for cotton against abnormal condi-
tions, made possible by American
and foreign market methods, which
as yet are permitted to exist, were
bending every energy to bring about
a reduction of acreage, or at least
TO prevent an increase of acreage.
Conditions following the huge CROP
OF 1911, and hard work made this
possible. The price on the crop just
harvested was kept steady.
A more serious situation confronts
you now and hence this word of
warning. With the price of the 1912
crop remaining fairly good and
steady all the season through the
argument of tho manipulators will
be that the cotton farmer of the
South will yield to temptation and
do as he has done hundreds of times
tbefore-plant more acreage to cot
ton, on the assumption that the
price will stay up. This expectation
you have justified in the past andit
will be used from the start. Under
present laws and established meth
DDS, though the world demand be for
a crop possibly larger than fourteen
and one-half million bales, I want to
say to you, it will be suicidal to in
crease your acreage. 1t is more i'm
portant to hold yourself and your
acreage in check this year than ever
before. To yield to the temptation
of an increased price this season will
be equivalent to proving yourself de-
void of even common sense.
The planting season is upon us
now. Stop and think for a day or
two before you listen to the siren
song OF Is cents. a The danger to
you and yours is greater by far than
last year. If you must have a larger
acreage on your farm, put the in
crease in corn and other food crops.
hC ono uhn hnc StIsiN-nn 10 ola ,o,, T.,
the hour Of need, and has been faith
full to the trust imposed in him, let
me entreat you to hold your acreage
down and prove to the world that
you are not obliged to rush in and
do what every cotton broked in New
York, Liverpool and elsewhere ex-
poets yon to do for your own undoing
and h enrichment of others.
In this State | have endeavored to
get the General Assembly to enact a
simple cotton statistics-gathering
law that will force facts on the world
when they should be thore-not
when it is too late. This measure,
which would aid in some degree, is
not yet law. Oklahoma alrGady has
IT, and your organizations have all
asked for it in every cotton State.
Again, let me beg of YOU to watch
your acreage, and let good sense, in
stead Of lack OF judgment, guide 0
III the planting Of your crop this year.
II you don't You will face Tin the
falD a situation that may bo the
most serious you have ever faced.
If You don't do your part now,
don't say then that you were not
warned.
The fight for justice to Americas
greatest money crop cannot be won
by a few men year after year-it
must command the personal co-ope-
ration Of ever grower Of cotton.
l. j. Watson,
President Southern Cotton Congress.
H0w's This q?