The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1913-02-26
CURTAIL THE ACREAGE
WATSON URGES FARMERS TO
CUT COTTON CROP.
He Warns Them Not to be Misled by
the Present Prices, and Asks Co.

the Present PrlceS, ana ASKS To-
operation.
'tThe planting season is upon US
now. Stop and think for day or
two before you listen to the siren
song of 13 cents" says E. j. Watson,
commissioner Of agriculture of South
Carolina and president of the South
ern Gotten congress in an address to
the farmers Of the South, issued re-
Gently, in which he urges reduction
Of cotton acreage during the coming
season.
The cotton growers of the South"
says the commissioner, "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
living price for cotton against abnor-
NAL conditions, made possible by
American and foreign market meth
DDS, which as yet are permitted to
exist, were lending every energy 10
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 con-
fronts 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 ar
gument 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 JUS
tilted 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 possibly
larger than 14,500,000 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 &C,
reage in check this year than ever be.
fore. To yield to the temptation OF
an increased price this season will be
equivalent to proving yourself devoid
of oyoo oomrnon conca
"The planting season is upon us
now. Stop and think for day OF
two before you listen to the siren
song of 13 cents. The danger of you
and yours is greater by far than last
year. If you must have larger
acreage on your farm, put the in.
crease in corn and other food crops
AS one who has striven to aid you in
the hour of need, and has been faith
I 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 broker in New
York, Liverpool and elsewhere ex-
pect you to do for your own undoing
and the enrichment of others.
"In this State I 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
it is too late; this measure, which
would aid in some degree, is not yet
a law. Oklahoma already has it, and
your organizations have all asked for
i. 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
a 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 can not be won
by few men year after year; it
must command the personal co-opera-
ton of every grower of cotton"