Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1921-04-18
COTTON SLUMP HITS
SOUTH HARD BLOW
Farmers Say They Will Turn To
Other Crops AS Thousands Of
Bales Are Left Rotting In
The Fields
BY H. c. HAMILTON,
International News Service Staff
Correspondent.

ATLANTA, April l8-Facing the
grimmest fight since the days OF the
reconstruction that followed the war
between the states, Southern farmers
today are ready to practically aban-
don cotton as the backbone of their
crops and swing over to commodities
which will bring them more revenues.
They hope they will not have to be
drastic enough to seriously affect pro-
duction of this staple, which in the
past has brought many thousands of
millions annually into this section, but
already steps have been taken to cut
into this years planting with suffi-
cient vigor, they believe. to force
prices back to something near normal
Conservative estimates place the
number of cotton bales on the farms
and in warehouses now at 100000
There are fields scattered over the
South spotted white with cotton which
has been left to rot on the stalk
Farmers would rather it stayed there
than go to the expense of picking,
ginning and shipping.
Many things have contributed to the
condition which makes the lot of farm
ers in Dixie unusually hard. First,
there was the exodus of negro labor
when the North began offering wages
which attracted the field hands. Some
of these are now returning to the
South but many others are not.
Therefore wages mounted to prohib-
tive rate White nfen are not con-
stiucted to stand the whitening heat
OF Southern cotton fields
Prices Below rre-War Rates.
Freight rates nave shot up until
shipment of raw cotton now is SER
ious business.
Still cotton prices are lover now
than before the war.
A canvas of the situation in the "old
South" and extending into Oklahoma,
Texas and Missouri. shows that State
departments have taken official cog
nizance of the situation and are urging
steps to offset what might happen if
planters continued in the old way and
planted big cotton crops.
SOY bans, something comparatively
new in crops of this country, will be
planted by many farmers. 1t is a
valuable food product with oil prod
ucts contributing to its value.
These facts have been developed in
Investigations by the International
News Service:
Georgia's cotton acreage for this
year will not exceed one-half that of
1920, provided survey made by the
State is correct Food and feed
products will replace it.
Tennessee which has one of the
worlds greatest cotton markets
Memphis--does not raise a great deal
of cotton, but eMmphis organizations
are backing movement to cut the
acreage of that state in half.
South Carolina Crop will be
greatly cut, probably 30 per cent, and
food products mainly substituted.
1t is really too early just now to
gain an accurate estimate of the 1921
crop, for planting does not begin until
May, but pledges of farmers during
the drive conducted throughout the
winter forms basis for computation.
The only fear is expressed by cotton
handlers, who declare many farmers
will depend on their neghbors to cut
heavily
Cooperative marketing plans are
making their entrance One of these
is being heavily backed in Georgia.
Tennessee, also, is strongly behind
one. Farmers under this plan would be
obliged to deliver their cotton to CEN
trail station, which would control its
MISUNDERSTANDING it out in such a
fashion that the price to a great ex-
tent would be stabilized Oklahoma
farmers have been combined in one
OF thse plans. Texas is orpaniz;no