The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1920-05-06
COTTON CROPS ARE LATE.
Commissioner Harris Discusses Stu
alton in State.

ing a personal survey of the crop con-
ditions in South Carolina and offers
, timely information to farmers. Gus
ually by the middle of April" says
Mr.. Harris, 1--WE find planting of cot
ton we'll under way, and indeed quite
a lot of cotton above ground. This
year, owing to the unusual weather,
very little cotton has been planted
here or anywhere in the cotton belt.
Not over fifty per cent. of the aver
age crop has been planted and great
deal of the land is yet to be prepared
for the planting.
Therefore, in order to make a nor
NAL crop, every day from now hence
forth must be ideal cotton weather.
"The spinning trade is in the most
flourishing condition in its history,
and it is being more generally recog-
nized that with the large demands
for goods at present high levels the
price of Southern cotton is relatively
cheap. According to the law of sup
! ply and demand, cotton should be
selling for go cents, the price that the
American Cotton Association recon-
mended for the remainder of the 1919
crop.
affairs are entirely in the hands
of the farmers and spots holders. If
they positively refuse to take present
prices it will Immediately advance to
so cents and above, as the spinners
will call the spectators for delivery
as they are making unheard of profits
now. So, I say again, sit steady in
the boat and freeze to your spots and
they will pay your price.
"Pay no atteneion to futures con-
tracts prices, they cannot be spun.
However, if. you have no use for your
money, if you will hold your cotton
until July, 1921, it will pay you a big
interest for after careful review of
the first crop and weather reports of
the season, State by State, and after
comparison with private reports from
every State in the belt, we have ar
rived at the conclusion that this is
likely to be another season of short
yield and that from the beginning it
is doomed to be short crop. In the
few sections of the belt where plant
ing has been done, termination is
very unsatisfactory mainly because of
the low temperature that has prevailed
and the first planting went to naught
in large areas.
"In many places in the belt it has
been planted now the third time be-
fore getting a stand. Too much rain
and low temperatures always work
injury to the crops, especially cotton.
"There has never been a time since
cotton has been planted that such a
bear raid has been made upon spot
cotton, and they have not succeeded
in driving it down. l want to say
to spot holders that if the weather
keeps good for week or so they
will drive October an December con-
tracts much lower, but this will not
effect the spots if the holders will
not get panicky and sell.
Freeze to your spots. Don't sell
until the price is reached. 1t will
come if the farmers will not release
a pound until it gets to so cents and
above. The price of goods justifies
it. If you don't get your prices don't
blame the other fellow. Did you know
that the spinable cotton is not enough
to run the mills of the world more
than five or six months, and that if
the cotton to be grown this year
should be withheld from the market
until December l then the majority
of the mills would have to close down
on account of lack of cotton to spin ?
Well, these are facts, and the pro-
ducers of cotton never had the oppor-
tunity in their hands as they have
today.
81 hope that the producers will
realize that this is a fact and that
they will make up their minds not to
put any new cotton on the market un-
til December. Then market sparingly
and you can name your own price.
Now / want to urge every farmer so
to arrange his farm this year that he
will make plenty.of supplies, such as
neglect planting a popcorn patch and
peanuts, so that the children may
amuse themselves on rainy days and
in the long winter evenings.
Remember, the farmer that makes
all his home supplies has half financed
his cotton crop to begin with"