The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1915-05-20
ZONE BALE AN ACRE.
How tc Make Gotten Growing a
Profitable i;usiae>>.

Kindly allow space tor pnb!i-
cation OF this article. i'll which IS SCI
forth p desire to la%uch cOnstruc-
tive movement for the future pros
perity OF the South. Tile figures used
are illustrative. to demonstrate the
general proposition. and are not CIV
en- to invite controversy. although
. they are near enough to accuracy.
when a general average is taken. TO
be passed as correct.
The cotton crop has not proved
paving business for the South. and
has been a losing game to majority
OF the cotton planters. 1t is not be-
cause. generally, the planter has sold
his cotton before the price goes up;
nor will large crops at low prices or
small crops at high prices: or in
creased Yields with increased amount
of fertilizer. remedy the evil: but the
simple application of simple buSl-
ness principle. believe that sta
tistics will show that, taking a ten
wear average. for the whole cotton
belt. it has required three acres OF
land to produce one 500-pound bale
of cotton. The same ten-year aver
age will probably show that cotton
brought 10 cents the pound or $50
the bale. Even if the cotton planter
got $50 for each 500-pound bale, TAX
en- as whole the planter lost money,
probably in every State. except those
few where. am told no commercial
fertilizers are used. BY the append
ed figures you will eetahtetaroi
ed figures YOU will see that it costs
around S26 to produce and place up
on the market one 500-pound bale Of
cotton, if made upon one acre Of land,
under normal conditions; and about
s39 when made upon two acres and
about $50 when made upon three
acres. Consequently any profit de-
rived could only have come from the
sale OF the seed.
: The ne-bale-an-acre movement is
designed to make the cotton crop a
paying business for the cotton plant
er, and there is no reason why it
should interfere with diversified
farming, intensified farming or any
other movement for the betterment
of the farmer Practically every far
mer in the cotton belt has some land
that will, under normal conditions.
produce one 500-pound bale of cot
ton on a selected acre. Some may
have one. three, ten or fifty and so
on according to the number of acres
of farming land he owns or rents.
Were it possible this year to get each
farmer to select such land, and plant
it, and no other land in cotton, and
weather and other conditions should
be normal. the probable crop of ten
million bales could be produced up
on ten million acres, and the other
probable seventeen million acres
which are going to be sacrificed in
producing the possible ten million
bales could be planted in forage or
other crops. G assume that the re-
duction in cotton acreage this year
will be not less than 25 per cent. In
1914 there were some thirty-siX mil
lion acres planted in cotton, and this
year with lack of money. supplies and
fertilizer, l judge there will not be
more than twenty-seven million acres
planted in cotton, and with prob
able cut of more than 80 per cent. in
fertilizer used, l figure that under the
most favorable weather conditions
ten millions of bales will be the out
side mark because there will be no
discretion used in selecting land up
on which to plant cotton.)
want the press of the South; the
various agricultural societies: the ag-
ricultural departments Of the cotton
States: the agricultural colleges; he
farm demonstration agents and, in
fact. everyone who is interested in
the prosperity of the South, to assist
in pushing the movement forward.
Simply show the cotton planter that
by selecting the land. which he al
ready knows will produce one 500
pound bale on an acre, under normal
conditions. and planting only such
land in cotton, that he can make
money. Show him that if. in a tract
of thirty acres, which he now plants
and makes. say twelve bales upon.
he has five acres that will each make
a 500-pound bale. it will pay him
better to plant only the five acres
in cotton and use the rest for other