The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1920-06-30
B. Harris Says Staple Worth Sixty
Cents.

Col,no bia. June 26.:-B Harris,
commissioners OF agriculture, yester-
day gave out the following state
ment:
."Fhe government. report OF 62.4 IN
d:cating the lowest average condition
of the growing cotton crop in the.last
80 years which as practically confirm
ed 10y the estimates of other 5authorl-
fses. will ;sfartle the cotton world. AT
a time when the European splnners
thought anything less than 1900
600 bale crop in the United States
would be a world disaster we have an
indication of . crop Of 100000
bales. Even this estimate may have to
be further feduced by the activities 81
the boil weevll and the unfayerabfe
conditions which prevail in growing
this crop. We Know that the present
price of cotton iss-fars below its mtrln-
sic value measured by the cost OF pro
,duetion alone and also by theyWorfd $
needs, sforswe know that according to
the law of supply and Aemand cotton
middling and above is cheap today a
SO cents per pound. Now, no matter
what the market may be, don't sell q
bale of cotton for less than 80 cents
per pound. There may be apapparent
lack OF demand. but when the Spiri-
ners who have hedged their rec:ire-
ments in New York July contract de-
nland the cotton they are surely
going to demand the actual cotton
and we shall see the shorts do some
tall .scrambling 10 cover. As the spin
ners have been out of the market for
some time we know they must either
be very long Of New York contracts
cotton OF. they will have 10 close Their
mills.
.eAt the tremendous profits r.iils are
making and q cotton faminc IN SIGHT
/ do not think they will close down.
Don't. sell a. baleSfor less than % cents
per pound Now they say that The
next governmentrepor Will be q very
bearish report We know the condl-
ton report will be some better uian
the last one but it ear 5nlS he few
points better. 1t can hot possibly
come up to the average t.]uae 25 re-
port for the last ten years winch w''s
F10> hope that ..t&fyz sNot .hotdef
will rot be bear on .lle nltrkce@ ia:
will be a great big bull and you Will
soon see the shorts come TO cover for
cotton to fill spinnable contracts
which they havezsold and will soon be
compelled to fill. There is too much
money in spring cotton today for sl.a
mills to stop until they are. compelled
to for the want Of cotton
Il want to say to the spot holders
that they have the situation entirely
in their own hands The spmhers are
compelled to have cotton; as l have
said before there is not enough sp!n.i.-
able cotton in the world to run the
mills for six months SO II the produ-
GERS Of cotton will sit steady in the
boat and be bulls on the market IN
stead Of bears, they can get their own
price.
From the very best information we
can gather there is really not gong
TO be very much increased product
ION of food crops this year. / want
T. to saw to the farmers Of South Caroii-
ma. those who have not diversified
their crops to make their farm self
sustai n. that. it it is not yet too
late for them to plant any Of the early
varieties Of corn. such as Hickory
cane or any Of the Dent varieties. 4ou
can still plant these varities up tosjuiy
4. thoroughly preparing the land and
sferti,iziGg it. working it quickly and
it will make good hard corn by frost.
Also the bunch speckied pea and
{black peas can yet be planted and
| they will make good paying crops.
{ Any farmer who has to buy food Tor
himself or his animals will pay the
highest price next year that he has
}yet paid for these commodities The
man who is looking for low cost OF
| liyine, next wear, is only foolinG HIM