Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-02-26
LET SHORT SELLERS
PRODUCE COTTON, IS
J. ]. BROWNS IDEA

To plant no cotton at all this year.
but to buy cotton futures for fall
delivery at the now prevailing price
which is about IA cents a pound, and
"let the speculative short sellers do
the producing" was the advice to
Georgia farmers given Thursday by
]. J. Brown, commissioner OF agricul-
ture. in a statement dealing with
the general situation Of prices and
and planting plants.
In other words. Commissioner
Brown advised the farmers to beat
"the gamblers" at their own game by
accepting the contracts offered by
short sellers to deliver cotton in the
fall of the year at II cents a pound.
If a farmer can buy a contract,
Commissioner Brown contends, why
should he waste his land and labor
producing cotton at cost OF 20 cents
a pound? He would make more money
buying futures and planting his land
in food and feed crops.
Text of Statement.
Thousands Of farmers in south
Georgia are making thelr plaHs W
plant no cotton at all, Commissioners
Brown declared in his statement
which was as follows:
CAS- we near the planting season OF
1921, we see each day more clearly
the folly and uselessness OF planting
a cotton crop. We have tried to pc
conservative in recommending the
nroduction of a half crop in the belt,
saw 100000 bales, in the hope that
the cotton consuming world Woulu
realize the fairness of our poSltlon
and be willing to pay the cost OF
production with a reasonable protlI'
ut is foregone concluslon' az
mitted by all who are familiar with
the situation in the cotton Delt, tndt
credit conditions and the high price
of all materials going into the pro-
duction of the 1921 crop will make
if impossible for the south TO pro-
duce more than 70 per cent or nor
NAL crop even if present prices were
satisfactory and profitable; ana II IL
more than reasonable to assume that
since prices are about half of the
cost of the production of the 1871
CROP. that a voluntary curtallment
of Is per cent would be assured
Vet with these facts before us, we
can see a stubborn determination on
the part of the short sellers TO con,
tinue selling the anticipated crop
0e"'' Cost of production
"HThe state board of entomology
together with it's staff of cotton spe-
ciaIists who have had charge OF the
policing and growing of cotton at
made a fair and impartial calcula-
ton as to the estimated cost OF the
1921 crop, basing a wage for tne
farmer at about one-half the wage
paid labor by the various corpora
lions over the country, and taxing
into consideration the present prices
of fertilizer and calcium arsenate
and found that it would cost TWEEN.
weight cents per pound to produce
this coming crop of cotton, PROVIDED
the seasons and boil Weevll raVages
1T appeal to the business judg-
ment Of every cotton planter IN tn I
belt and ask him the question with
all sincerity and earnestness, now
can he afford to plant cotton crol
If the sales now being made by
the exchanges for fall deliveries are
at a. price just one-half of the known
cost of production of the crop TINS
season?
II do not want to be pessimistic
hut we are in the midst of the great
est struggle for the survival OF the
cotton producer that has ever been
waged since cotton became a factol
in our national commerce, ana upon
the proper solution and fair anC
equitable distribution of the cotton
of the south will depend the future
nrosperity of the cotton states.
Farmers Eliminating Cotton
"For the qualification of all those
who are interested in the future DE.
yelopment of the south, l am glac
to state that on my recent, trip over
the state through more than Sixty
counties I found thousands OF farm
ers who do not intend to plant
single seed Of cotton this season, anc
I have not found one who insists or
planting more than one-third of his
cultivatable lands to cotton. This
shows us beyond a shadow Of doub
that Georgia will not produce more
than one-half of normal cotton crop
With this yield and cooperative
system of marketing such as mas
been outlined by the Sapiro plan, The
south will have won the fight ahc
can then hold the situation as tt
the pricing of cotton in her owl
II again appeal to every cotto1
planter to make fair calculator
as to what it will cost him to produce
his cotton crop this year, and un
less he can figure cost with a rea
sonable profit, that he plant not
single seed Of cotton. We canno
take chances of growing cottoI
against a gamblers market. Ii
would be good business to buy the
cotton from those who are selling
it for less than cost and let then
produce the cotton"