Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-03-14
soUTH's COTTON PROBLEM.
Proper Solution of It Calls for Coco
Teamwork Everywhere.

| ID. w. hllSOEcp Ol- ule INOlIh Sdioiiho
Experiment Station.
The south, and North Carolina par
ticularly, wrought wonderfully vel
during the war period. Large crops
except cotton, have been made, par
ticularly food crops. The cotton crops
of the country for the four years OF
the war-1915 to 191s-were 11,700,-
600, bales, 11,302,000, 11,450.000 and
11,192,oO0, or an average Of 11,411,ooC
bales against the four pre-war crops
of 1911 to 1914 Of 1885, 900 bales, A..
l156.000, 13,703,0O0 and 15.SsS,000 bales
which is an average Of 3,611,000 bales
more annually prior to that than dur
ing the war period.
The acreage Of last year was but
942, 900 less than 1914 when the bump
er crop Of 16.135,OO0 bales was pro-
duced. The low production for the
past four years has been due mainly
to bad seasonal conditions in Texas
ard Oklahoma. Good winter rains
already have been had in these states
and with the same acreage as in 1918
near $4,000, ,000-and good seasons, a
crop wei nigh as large as our largest
| an and likely would be made, which
Is far beyond what there are any
reasons to think the wo-ld will con-
sumo.
Our bumper cotton crop Of 16,000.-
600 bales in 1914, brought $780,
OO0,O 900, and our 11,50O,Oo0 bales
Of 1917, brought the south s1,-
6O0, ,O0O, 900, or twice as much as the
bumper crop. We know what this
means-"big crop. low price" Cotton
at present prices is at, If not below
the cost of production, and not an in
considerable number of North Caro-
lima farmers have cotton of two years
on hand, which means ability on the
part Of some to hold but there are
many farmers not so fortunate.
1t would seem that the world needs
and will consume at cost Of produc-
ton, plus a fair profit, the small crop
of 1918, especially as this Is one OF
four small crops in succession, the
average for the four years being H.
III, 900 bales, or 100000 less for the
four year war period than for the four
year pre-war period.
What can be done to make this ef-
fective?
/. A we'll defined cooperative pro-
cram on the part of the banker, the
merchant and the farmer for holding
and selling should bring results, and
the united effect in spirit and action
of all agencies is necessary to meet
this critical situation.
2. Along with the movement to en-
able the farmer, the merchant and the
banker, or whoever has cotton, to hold
It till the right time. to sell, must 90
a programme to house the staple, pro-
tecting it from the damage Of exposure
or greater loss may come from this
cause than from the low prices.
3. What is more important when
measured in terms of its effect upon
the future of our farming industry, is
l plan for preventing the production
of a cotton crop this year greater than
the world will require. A reduction IN
acreage of from one-fifth to one-thlrd
has been suggested as the method OF
doing this. This would mean fol
North Carolina in round numbers a
million acres instead Of million and
a half of cotton. This would leave q
million acres heretofore devoted to cot
ton available for food, feed and soil
improving crops, especially stressine
the latter, alone, or in combination
with feed crops, as any plan for future
action which does not have for one OF
its chief objects the increase OF acre
age Yields the maintenance or In
crease of soil fertility will not be III line
with the kind of progress Whicf
orth Carolina has registered in a re-
markable way in the last few years.
Cotton should likely, in most cases
be put on the better land, including
some at least of the land planted te
soil improving crops during the past
car. 1t should be fertilized with the
Jew of economy so as to meet the needs
of the land thus used and the crop
nd increasing the acreage production
and reducing the cost so as to meet
the almost certain lower price for cot
| on next fall. Cotton should not be
-rown in away and no land which will
| produce less than two-thirds Of bale
N acre and better-three-fo -fourths or a
bale.
4. Another matter Of serious con-
ern Is the price of fertilizers. The
prices of fertilizers are the highest
we have ever known, and while the
cotton grower cannot afford, If possi-
bic, to allow his acreage yields to de-
cline. fertilizers must be used, as to
quantity and kind, to meet the needs
Of the soil and the crop, and with
every indication that fertilizers and
other supplies purchased this spring
will be used in making crops which
will sell for less next fall than at
present.
This phase of farming for the COM
ing year cannot be too strongly stress
cd If we would maintain or improve
our present economic position, re-
membering that fertilizers and other
supplies bought in the spring during
tho past four years and used in max
ing crops were at a lower scale Of
prices than the farm products which
were grown during the year sold for
in the fall. The reverse Is now going
to be true.
s. It will be easily agreed that all
reduction in cotton (and tobacco)
should go into food and feed crops
and pasture in an effort to make all