Cleveland County herald., 1921-02-10
HEAVY REDUCTION CERTAIN

The reports which are coming in from all over the cotton belt indi- cates that there will be substantial reduction in the acreage planted to cotton this year. There will not only be large reduction in acreage, but in the older cotton states east of the Mississippi there will be an un- precedented reduction in the use of commercial fertilizer. In these states fertilizer is depended upon to large extent in the production of cotton and a large curtailment of it's use will have as much effect as the re- duction of acreage.
 To. take the place of cotton there will be large increase in the pro- duction of food and feed crops.
 There is a large supply of cotton en hand at this time-more than three times the usual amount, and the staple is drug on the market and hard to sell at the market quota tations.
 We believe that if the buyers of cotton are convinced when the plant ing season is over that there will only be half normal crop of cotton produced in 1921, there will be a substantial stiffening of the market.
 Heretofore when campaigns of this kind have been put on cotton planters have been very eager to rush up and sign pledges to reduce their acreage, but when the smoke of battle had cleared away and the seed was in the ground it was usually found that larger majority of them had forgot ten their pledges.
 But this year promises to be differ ent. Bankers and merchants are going to be unable to finance large planting operations, so that there will be no other course to pursue than to reduce heavily and to raise those things which they have hitherto been buying in order to devote all of the land to cotton.
 Some men would force the reduc- tion of acreage by drastic laws, but the prices of farm products cannot be controlled by law and the farmer who owns his land or pays his rent certainly has the right to plant what soever he desires so long as he can finance his own operations.
 The only law which regulates the price of farm products is that of supply and demand. Just now the demand is light and the supply is large. But before the end of 1921 the business of the world may be on a more stable basis. By that time it is hoped that the cotton growers will have learned the lesson that it is bet ter to first raise your food and feed and put the rest in cotton, rather than raise cotton with which to buy those things which they can raise to better advantage at home.
 The farmer who, in 1920, raised enough hay and corn to do him dur ing 1921, is in much more enviable condition than the man who faces the starting of crop with all of these things to buy.
 By diversifying their crops the farmers could have something to sell every month in the year instead of only three or four months.
 Chickens, hogs, butter, milk, and a hundred other things can be sold throughout the 12 months of the year, and always at as good profit as cotton.
 Pea hay, lespedezea, soy beans and numerous things can be produced for feed crops on land that has already produced money crop. And these things can be produced cheaper than they can be bought. The man from whom you buy them has to make profit and the railroad company who brings them to you has to make profit. In fact you must pay three or four profits on everything you buy.