The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1919-02-20
SAFETY FIRST.
To Farmers and Business Men in
Cotton Territory.

the purpose OF putting the present
situation up to the farmers and busi-
ness men. 1t is entitled, "Safe Farm
ing in the Southern States in 1919"
Ask your county agent for copy.
The present situation is the most
dangerous which the cotton states
have faced in recent years. You have
had four years of comparative pros
perity, partly because of four short
crops of cotton with resultant good
prices, and partly because you pro-
duced so much of your own food and
feed. Druing the last four years there
have been short crops in Texas main
ly due to drought. In 1911, 1912,
1913, and 1914, the Texas crop av-
eraged 4,41S,25O bales while dur
ing 1915, 1916, 1917 and 1918 it
averaged only 3,164,500 bales, or l.
253,750 bales less per annum. Texas
has had good rains this winter. From
1911 to 1914, inclusive, Oklahoma
averaged 1,O36,25O bales per annum.
From 1915 to 1918, inclusive, the
average was only 742,250 bales or
100000 bales less per annum, mainly
due to drought. Oklahoma has had
splendid rains this winter. A big crop
in Texas and Oklahoma has always
meant a big crop in the whole coun-
try. Think that over before you de-
eide to increase your acreage in cot
ton.
Will the mills Of Northern France
ard Belgium be restored to full work
ing capacity at once? Certainly not.
Will the poor people of Europe seek
food or cotton? Food, of course.
People can and will wear patched
clothing and sleep without pillow
cases and sheets if need be, but the
hungry stomach must be fed. Think
about that.
The last four years have been a
period of gradually increasing prices.
Farmers and business men have pro-
fitted out of this constant increase.
Cotton just about kept pace with 9TH
er things. A pound or an acre of 1t
would buy about the same quantity
of other commodities in 1918 at 80
cents a pound as it did in 1914 at IL
cents a pound. But during this time
the farmers had the advantage or
purchasing supplies in the spring and
summer at one level of prices and
then selling cotton in the fall at the
top price of the year and paying the
debts contracted at the lower prices.
Be on your guard now, for when
prices begin to settle down the situa-
ton becomes more difficult. We may
be in the position Of making a crop
of cotton with high priced supplies
and settling our debts out Of cotton
at lower price. Especially will this
be true if we produce very large
crop and thereby do all in our power
to lower the market price Of cotton.
Has not a large crop always meant
lower prices? Think that over.
What about acreage? Let us look
at the acreage figures in the bulletin.
The total for 1918 was 95.S9O,OOO.
Oklahoma had more acres planted In
1918 than in either 1911, 1918, or
1914. Texas had more acres in 1913
than in 1911 and only about 100000
acres less than in 1914. The years
1911, 1913 end 1914 were good years
with big crops and generally low
prices. With only 10000 acres more
in the whole country in 1911 than
we had in the whole country in 1918,
we produced 15,693,000 bales, and
the farm price December 1,1911, av-
eraged SS cents per pound. In 1913
we had 37,0S9,OO0 acres and pro-
duced 14,156,000 bales, and the farm
price averaged 1872 cents per pound
December l, 1913. In 1914 we had
36,S32,000 acres, or only $4,000
acres more than in 1918, and yet the
production was 16,135,OO0 bales and
the farm price December l, 1914, was
6.S cents per pound on the average,
due in part, no doubt, TO the war III
Europe. Think this over.
With less acres than last year and.
good season we can easily make a
very large crop, especially with good
production in Texas and oklahoma.
In 1912 with only "a 2S3,00O acres
we made 13,7O3.O00 bales of cotton.
With a good season ahead of us,
would you increase the acreage?
Which would you rather do, pro-
duce more cotton and take a less
price for it after working a larger
number of acres at greater expense,
or limit your production to smaller
number of acres, better tended, per-
hitting the full production Of your
food and feed and better chance for
q good price?