The Neshoba Democrat. (Philadelphia, Miss.) 1881-current, 1921-09-29
PHILADELPHIA, MISS. THURSDAY, SEPT. 29, 1921
THE WORLD FACING A COTTON
FAMINE, AND ITS MEANING.

Not since the civil war period,
when hundreds of thousands Of peo-
pie were idle in Lancashire because
Of the inability to buy cotton from
the desperate sitAiation then almost
forced the British Government To re-
cognize the Confpderacy in order to
get cotton, has there been the cer-
tainty OF such q world shortage as
we are now facing.
The new crop is likely to fall below
1000, 900 bales, for it has been stead
lily deteriorating durings the last
three or four months. Adding the
new crop to the supply brought over
from former years will hardly
give us OF spinnable cotton enough
to meet the worlds actual require
inents.
1t is impossible to spin down to
the last bale, and, therefore, all mills
In this and other countries must OF
necessity always have some stock on
hand and some in process Of manu-
facture.
The actual amountrequired, there
fore, will almost certainly exceed
the availa BILE supply, and the world
will go into the next crop shorter OF
cotton than it has at any time since
1866 & 1866. This shortage cannot be
made up for a number of years. The
ravages of the boil weevil make 1T
impossible for the South to raise a
large crop for some years to come.
This section cannot possibly, re-
gardless of the price to whichcotton
maygo, plant and cultivate an acre
age large enough to give big yield
while the boil weevil holds sway,
and there is no remedy yet In sight
| for the ravages of the weevil.
Moreover, the South is learning
that In diversification of agriculture
there is more prosperity for the in
dividual farmer and for the South as
II whole than would be in cotton at
any price, and large portion OF
Southern farmers will never again
concentrate all their energies upon
lcottan growing. They have this
year had lesson which for gener-
alton we have been trying to ham,
mer into the South, viz: that the
| most tuneconomic and wasteful thing
the Southern farmer could possibly
do was to raise crop of sufficient
size to give the cotton bears Of the
world whip handle. The South has
learned that seven million bale crop
at twenty cents or more per pound,
land it ought to go much higher), /,
will be worth vastly more to this
section than a twelve million bale
eropoat ten cents a pound.
1t is, therefore, incumbent upon
every well-wisher of the South,
banker, merchant and manufacturer
and land owner as we'll to do all In
their power to encourage diversified
farming, to insist that the small
land owner and tenant farmer shall
have no lien crop credit at banks or
at stores unless they raise sufficient
foodstnffs for their family needs, for
credit on any other basis would be
an injury to the borrower.
The lesson which has been
learned will be of incalculable value
to the South If. regardless of the
price to which cotton may go, this
section continues to concentrate it's
energies upon living at home in
stead OF having ''its smokehouses
aud corn crib in the West" The
South ought not to have to buy a
pound of Weston corn. 1t ought to
provide the feedstuffs for itself and
have surplus for shipment else
where.
Cotton is a curse, has been and
ever will be. to the South except 1t
be raised as surplus crop, giving
only such acreage to cotton ascan be
properly cultivated after putting In
IL sufficient acreage for food and feed
supplies. The acreage that is put in
cotton should be heavily fertilized,
but this acreage should be smaller
next year than it has been this year.
An acreage OF 15,000,000 to 20,00O,-
600 would be ample for the South If
properly fertlllzed and intensly culti-
waited. The yield per acre would be
larger, the cost less and the profit
greater. But even this acreage
would be too large unless the South
can In addition thereto carry on the
diversification OF agriculture to a
sufficient extent to produce It's own
grain and meats.
1t behooves the bankers and the
merchants who are in touch with
the farm people of the South to be-
gin an immediate intensive and ag-
gressive campaign for increasing
food production, and for still furth-