The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1916-03-09
THE COTTON PROBLEM.
LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP.

The fair prices received for
cotton Last fall are going TO
have a re-actionary effect on the
prosperity of the cotton belt this
year, if we are not careful. If we
are correctly informed, most OF
the planters in this section are
going TO even clean out the fence
corners and plant more cotton
this fall. All are agreed We
should try TO avoid an over4prO-
duction-'but every man is Sc
cretly hoping that the other fell
low will do the cutting down OF
acreage-while he will quietly
increase his own.
On this subject, the CONNER
cial Appeal says, in part:
Should the question be asked
the planters of the south why
cotton this year has commanded
a good price, the answer would
probably be as many and varied
as the individuals queried, but 10
a close observer the only cor
rect answer that strikes at the
basic cause is that funds have
been ample and cheap for the
financing of the crop. Men and
Institutions with money 10 loan
have been looking for places TO
make loans where the security
was good. Cotton has always
been considered good security and
loans have always been obtains-
ble-when money was plentiful
1t has been plentiful this year
plentiful to such an extent that
when a holder of cotton requests
loan for 80 or go days, he is
usually asked by his banker,
will that be long enoughH"
But these conditions cannot be
obtained forever. Indeed, the his
tory of finance in this country
has been that periods of depres-
sion follow periods of extreme
initiation, when funds are plenti-
full. To say that such a period
is approaching-is near-would
be going too far, but TO say that
the chances favor such conditions
would hardly be stretching the
blanket" At any rate, every
one will agree that such condi-
tions are possible for next fall.
Suppose that the uncertain cur
rent of events should bring about
depressed financial conditions
this fall, what is the south going
TO do with a big cotton crop on
its handsi What will you do,
Planter, when your banker is
forced to call your loan when
he is forced to say, "Better sell
little cotton" rather than ask
if the loan is 20 run long enough
to suit youi Why, do as the
planters of the south have done
for years with the exception OF
last year., dump your cotton on
the market and get what you can
for iti With the outlook for
export clogging practically TO the
stopping point, what will become
of your market then2
With the profits gained from
last years crop you can meet
such a situation by holding your
cotton at home if you make your
self independent by growing all
that you need for food and feed
at home. And in order to in
sure that you will have enough
It will be necessary TO plant a
sufficient acreage to produce
more than you need, with favor
able seasons. This will protect
YOU against losses from unfavora-
BILE weather or other damages 10
your crop. Such a course may
neceSsitate a reduction of your
last years cotton acreage, but
even at that you will profit
thereby. For a small crop OF
cotton will bring more money
than large one, and surplus in
your feed and food crops can be
sold at a profit, for the world
needs them, and the prospects in
the grain producing section are
not so promising as they were
year ago.