The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-05-12

1 ms ~ SOoA tA8A i
and marbles and phoSphates ana SUI
phur and oil and natural gas ana a
thousand other items when enter my
the life of business, there are SUI
other banks of equal Importance upon
which we can draw. Nature mas gwen
to the South a soil and chmate pc
culiarly fitted for the widest diversity
of agricultural products.
The world draws upon this BANKS
for 81, 900, 900, 600 worth OF cottoh d
year. And the time Is not far dlstant
when the worlds requirements VIII
be at least $4,000. 100000 a year. W
draw upon the same soil and the
same climate to give to the rme
of the South more than 81, 600, 000, 600
of other products.
Cotton. the kingliest- crop known TO
man. the most important crop IN all
the wide ramifications OF the worlds
business, dominating, as it has done
| for three-quarters of a century, much
| Of the financial and commercial inter
| ests OF this and other lands, is vital to
the very life of the worlds trade. The
South, however, could cotton
growing and turn its attention wholly
to diversified agriculture with far less
| loss to itself than to Europe. With
| out the South's cotton crop, the very
| business life of Europe would stagger
to a fail. Europe calls upon us an
nually for permission to draw on this
! cotton bank for nearly $500, 600 900.
Total Figures Staggering.
The total figures which tell the story
Of the South's cotton bank in it's rela-
ton to the worlds rad are Stagger-
ing. When undertaking to talk about
this crop we must learn to think, not
in millions, but in billions. Since 1880,
the total value of the SOuth's cotton
crop has been $17.45O, 100000. Dur
ing the same period the total prOduc-
ton Of gold and silver throughout the
world has been $11,674,00O, 900. Thus
in that third Of a century, the value
Of the SOuth's cotton crops has exceed
ed the value Of the worlds gold and
silver output by $5,667, 600, 900.
Consider the influence Of cotton up
on our foreign and it's i'm
p~ortance in maintaining the balance
Of trade in our favor. Since 1880,
we have exported more than $1O,OoO,-
0OO, 900 of cotton. In the same time,
the worlds output of gold has been
$4,000, 900, 900. If Europe had been
able in that thirty-fOur year period to
ship to us in actual gold every ounce
mined on earth, it would still have fall
len short more than $4,000, 600, 900
in paying it's Indebtedness for raw
cotton.
What has become Of this vast sun
: is sometimes asked? The answer il
simple. 1t has helped to a the hun
> dreds Of millions Of indebtedness:
: which the South owed at the close O.
!, the worlds most disastrous war. /
= has helped to r~e-establiSh Southern
y credit, to re-fertilize the wasted soils
which were Well-nigh ruined by tn
unfortunate tenant system that cam
: Of a necessity following the war. I
: has helped to build our towns ant
, cities. It has given Is Richmond!
! splendid growth and Atlanta's marvel
= Gus progress. It has helped to develol
= a thousand towns n %prosperou
y cities from Virginia to far away Texas
e loss sustained by the South through
the destruction caused by war. I
= has helped to sustain this sector
through that still greater loss by tn
movement Of population from the cen
= trail south to the North and West, an,
!, Southwest between 1865 and 100
- when the poverty and Wretche,
. ness Of his devastated land for twen
ty years after the close of the wa
- mad it difficult for millions to fin
~ employment.
Giving Men To Other Sections.
a The central South, between 1876
e, and 1900 drew on it's resources O
id men, and they are worth more tina
N coal or iron or cotton, and gave t
" the North and West and Southwes
k, 5000, 900 Of it's white people. Abou
W $500 900 Of these went entirely be
You'd the borders of the South an
he many of them have been the foremos
" factors in the development Of tn
North and West and the Pacific coas
ne Largely over 1900, 900 went from tn
, central south into the West an
Southwest and have given us thos
splendid Illustrations Of amazing CON
e. mOnwealth growth. Texas and Okla
homa.
The North and West and
by reason Of our inability to help oul
OF selves, caused a run on the bank {
lie Southern population and drew O,
these 100000 of our very best d.
posts, threatening at times almost
en- bankrupt the South. Measured by RI
~tandar which political economis
es put on the value Of a man to a coul
OF try, every one of these 5000. 600 pc,
pie averaged more than $1,000 eac
III 10 the South. Other sections. Their.