The Harrison times., 1915-10-23
THE HIGH PRICE OF COTTON

Why plant more cotton and get less
money when you can plant less cot
ton and get moro money for it," This
is the question that has been sug.
gested to the Profitable Farming Com.
mittee to PROFOUND 10 those who feel
that they did not plant enough cot
ton this year and who may feel dis
posed to increase their acreage next
season in view OF the present price on
cotton
Tn high price OF cotton in a large
measure is due to the low yield, to re-
duction in cotton acreage brought
about by the wave all over the South
to feed ourselves and stock" Con-
siderable CrOaking has already de-
veloped among the unthinking who are
complaining about having reduced
their cotton acreage" said f. J. Bod
man, chairman of the Profitable Farm
ing Committee.
The committee faced this problem
in prospect before it actually arose at
this time; that Of dealing with the
man who wants everybody else TO re-
duce cotton acreage except himself
We have been trying to make the
shortsighted fellows see that it is the
reduced output coupled with a grad
ual marketing Of the crop that makes
the high price and that increased
acreage for the sake of additional
profit would defeat his own object.
The farmers through application OF
proper ideas in agriculture are work
ing themselves into a commanding po
sition with respect to the cotton crop
and by acquired independence Of the
planter who is IN position to sell or
hold, as he pleases, owing 10 the fact
that he is not forced to send OutmOney
for food for man and feed for beast II
matters not whether cotton reaches
q 2GC figure or not, the policies that
this committee has been behind for
the past year, Feed yourselves and
stock" is the sane and profitable pol
icy to follow. The committee can on
ly point out the facts that are so self
evident that young school child can
understand them and seek to spread
the doctrine Of feeding ourselves and
stock" Give at home, "a COW, a pig
or two, a pen of chickens for every
family upon farm" etc.
When we raise our living at home
and save the money that usually goes
out to other states for food for man
and feed for beast, heretofore amount
ing to more than sixty-five millions OF
dollars annually, then gradually grow
into live stock that is so necessary to
maintain soil fertility as preached by
the agriculturists and then raise that
crop upon which the South holds a
monopoly and for which it is so we'll
adapted, then the South will become
prosperous.
Give us five years Of properly di-
versified cropping system and the
South will be the most prosperous sec
tion of The world.
If these facts and principles are not
emphasized and dwelt upon a lot Of
foolish people are going to go cotton.
crazy again and the result will be an
other fearful object lesson-overpro-
duction, starvation prices, and the loss
Of prestige that the South has gained
within the last year.
The banker, the supply merchant,
the farmer, all have interests in COM
mon; the former clnnot prosper to
the fullest degree unless the farmer
prospers and it is plain that he can
not prosper if he is to go cotton-crazy.
It is to be hoped that this is pret-
ty generally recognized over the en-
tire South, but the campaign referred
to is more essential this year than it
even was last year
With the Extension Department Of
the University of Fayetteville and
other agencies that are prepared to
give out correct information on new
crops and methods, there is no rea-
son why we should not progress sane
ly and safely. Whenever the bust.
ness man and the farmer gets to us.
ing the agricultural agencies at our
command, to the fuIest extent, and
not until then will our country make
the most rapid progress.