The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1913-02-19
FARMERS ARE URGED
TO REDUCE ACREAGE

erS 10 disregard Temptation of
Thirteen Cent Cotton and Act in
Unison for Reduction of Acreage.
Columbia, Feb. 16.-Urging the
farmers to stop and think and not heed
the siren call of thirteen cents, e. ].
Watson, commissioner OF agriculture
or South Carolina. and president of
the Southern cotton congress has adj
dressed communication to the farm
ers OF the South urging that they re-
duce the cotton acreage this year. He
| says:
To the Farmers OF the South:-
The cotton growers Of the South
nave 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 living price for cotton
against abb Aormal conditions, made
possible by American and foreign
market methods, which as yet are
~ eAiSls were DenulnS
every energy to bring about reduc-
ton of acreage, or at least to pre-
vent an increase Of acreage. Condi-
| lions 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
warming. With the price of the 1912
crop remaining fairly good and
steady all the season through the
argument OF the manipulators will be
that the cotton farmer OF the South
will yield to temptation and do as
he has done hundreds Of times before
plant more acreage to cotton, on
the assumption that the price will
stay up. This expectation you have
justified in the past and it will be
used from the start. Under present
laws and established methods, though
the world demand be for a crop pos
sibly larger than fourteen and one
| half million bales. l want to say to
1t will be suicidal to increase
your acreage. 1t Is more important
to hold yourself and your acreage in
check this year than ever before. To
yield to the temptation Of an increas-
ed price this season will be equival-
ent to proving yourself devoid 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 13 cents. The danger to you
and yours is greater by far than last
year. If you must have q larger ac-
reage on your farm, put the increase
IN corn and other food crops. AS one
VINO has striven to aid you in the
hour OF need, and has been faithful
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 broker in New
York, Liverpool and elsewhere ex-
pect you to do for your own undoing
and the 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 there-not when
1t Is too late; this measure, which
would aid in some degree, is not yet
law. Oklahoma already has it, and
your organizations have all asked for
1t 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 you
in the planting of your crop this year,
If you don't you will face IN the fall
situation that may be the most Sc
rious 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 few men year after year; 1t
must command the personal coopera-
tion Of every grower OF cotton.
e. j. WATSON,
Pres. So. Cotton Congress-.