The Covington leader. (Covington, Tenn.) 18??-current, 1919-03-06
DIR. ri. T. BYARS ON THE
COTTON SITUATION

/ The following article from the pen
Of former Covingtonian, Dr. Henry
IT Byars, appeared in a recent issue
of the Charlottesville, Mo, Repub-
Ilican. The editor of the Republican
stated that Dr.. Byars was one Of the
best posted men in the state Of Mis-
souri, on the subject treated by him,
and heartily endorsed every word OF
lit. The Leader gives DR.. Byars' ar
lticle the same endorsement and APP
Iproval, and we gladly give it space;
/ Do we want fair price for our
next cotton crop? Have we forgot
ten 1914? For once in the history
Of cotton the planter holds the world
at his command This hold will have
been made secure OF will have been
lost by April 25, by which time the
question Of acreage planted will have
been determined. Let us not, in
Idiyidually, think that we can plant
as much or more than last year and
reap the benefit of the reduction
made by the other fellow. 1t is 60
ing to cost US 20 cents or more to
grow a pound of lint cotton in Penn
iscot county. A 15-million-ba acre.
age will put the price down to about
half the cost of production; a 10-mil-
lion-bale acreage will increase the
price to a fair profit over cost, and
should this acreage be cut in yield by
short season or drought, the profit
would be handsome.
Let no one who farms good cotton
land in Pemiscot county abondon cot
ton, for the world needs to be clothed
and is willing to pay cash for cot
ton; but for our own best interests,
let us not put our whole trust in it.
Each of us knows the kind of land
on his farm that best produces corn,
and we each know that this land is
too strong for cotton in ordinary
seasons. So let us not put corn land
in cotton. BY planting early vari-
cites on early land - that which
warns up early--the acre yield can
be increased and the crops can be
gotten out before being so badly
damaged by winter weather
We cannot lose by reducing the
by fully one-third. The third
acre put in corn, oats, or hay, will
decrease the labor bills and the worry
by fully third and yield a profit
besides.
The spinners of yarns and the
makers Of print cloth and domestics
have made fabulous profits on gov
contracts. These contracts
have been rescinded, the factories
are using every possible means to
secure raw cotton at prices low
to keep their profits on
basis as nearly as possible equaling
army orders. To this end they have
cut down their output, and in many
instances closed their factories, so
that every cotton market town in
the south is piled nigh with unsold
cotton. The bear crowd on.the spec
ulative market has depressed the
price over $85 a bale, middling basis,
in less than three months, and is us
ing every possible means to depress
it still further even to the waving
Of the old ragged bloody shirt. If
there should be carry-over of three
and half or four million bales and
a large acreage planted, the spinners
and bears will have won, and the
planter will be back in his 1914 fix,
when he was begging the world TO
be merciful and "buy a bale" at 10
cents per pound,
1t has been said that Providence
looks after fools and little children,
and it looks like the experience Of
the past season, with the cutting Of
the acre yield almost in half by
drought and insects, is serious hint
to us that we farmers are in the
same category. Evidently nobody
who touches cotton except the grow
err, depends on Providence Nor his
profits least Of all the manufac-
turers and spectators. They know
that 100000 acres planted ordinar-
lily means a production of 15,000,000
bales, and he pushes the prices down
accordingly, even before the plant
has "put forth its first tender
leaves" They also know that by no
process of reasoning can they expect
more than 100000 bales from 25,-
100000 acres. Should this occur this
year the piled up cotton bales in the
south viii melt away, the factory
will begin to hum and the farmer