The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-10-12

II A SIX L II
s. TO sOUTHERN AGRICl
BY Frederick ,: Haslktn-

The cause Is not hard ia. dnd.
For many years the South has been
gaining in wealth and its farmers
have been. growing more Independent
better methods Of q r1cuAture naHe
been introduced, marked progress
has been made In the diver ion
OF crpos. large plantations have
been sub-divfded into small farms
and IN many cases the tenant farmer
has become his own landlord. There
is In every normal year certain,
proportion of the crop which comes
in early and which seeks the mar
ket at any level that 1t can find.
which a Commonly called distressed
cotton This is the cotton that IS
now being sold at z u to cents.
and 1T would be well to bear In mind
that at these figures much cotton
will be withheld from the market.
for months to come.
ut is true that there is great
amount OF Indebtedness which can
be liquidated only by the sale OF cot
ton. but in view of the increased cost
Of production in recent years, sales
at present prices would be in many
cases inadequate for the discharge
of these Obligations, SO that even u
the producer, being unable to sell
his cotton for enough to pay his
creditor, many of these creditors
would be in position to hold. and
much OF the cotton will be withheld
from the actual market. The hnane-
ing Of the present crop began with
its planting last March or April I'll
is the one crop in the South on which
loans are always freely made until It
is harvested.
..The last four crops, including
seed, have brought the people OF the
southern states gross average OF
nearly one thousand million dollars
per year, of which amount about
one-haIf has come from domestic
and Canadian mills. and the remain
der represents the value of exports
to foreign countries. By the sale OF
this crop the South has been enabled
not only to discharge its obligations
promptly every fall, but has added
half a billion dollars each year to the
national trade balance. Cotton pro-
duction is stimulated by high prices.
and conversely it is curtatled When
prices fall below the cost of produc-
stion. This has been particularly true
in those years when prices were low
Throughout the season and conun-I
sued low during planting time in the
early spring
public sentiment in many south |
ern states has been so aroused mat
there is now q general clamor TOE
legislation by the states to regulate
the production OF cotton, and some |
farmers have gone so far as to de-
mand that the planting of any cot
ton whatever in 1915 be prohibited.
or course, extreme action OF this
kind is not anticipated, but 1t Is I'M
doubtedly true that should prices
considerable below the average cost
of production, which is probably |
about ten cents per pound, prevail !
for the next six months, cotton VIII
be parted with only as necessity
arises. and most serious curtailment
in acreage for the next crop VIII pc
the inevitable sequence. !
Many of those who might be
financially able to put their lands inl
cotton would be attracted by the
high prices for grain and would
plant food crops, while others less
independent might be willing to con- (
tfnue in cotton but would find them
selves unable to secure the neces-l |
sary advances No well informedi;
man on southern conditions will deny
that further diversification In south
ern farming is desirable. and that
more attention should be paid to cat
tie raising and to the production OF
foodstuffs But it would be most UNI
fortunate, if by any chance. the pro-
duction of cotton next year should pc Il
so small as to make trade depend
ent upon the present crop for the
greater portion of its two years sup
ply.
In 1885 it took 274 minutes of labor
70 care for and raise a bushel OF corn,