Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-03-15
OUTLOOK FOR COTTON.

: aH aH
OUTLOOK FOR COTTON.
Indications That Acreage Reduction
Will Be Heavy. +:
That the acreage planted In cotton in
South Carolina this year, writes Rock
Hill correspondent, will be materially
reduced, is shown in the summary Of a
survey just completed by the Peoples
National bank. The survey was most
comprehensive. one and. was made with
the idea Of getting an accurate: state,
ment of conditions in every part Of the
state. It is understood that similar
surveys are in progress in other cotton
growing states and the indications
point to findings similar to those CLEAN
ed from the South Carolina survey.
And while the acreage viii be mate
rally reduced. it is believed the yield
per acre will be less than formerly.
Concrete reason for this belief Is found
III the fact that the farmers are not go
ing to be able to finance the planting Of
as large an acreage as last year. and
in the further fact that a large number
are going to be unable to. purchase
proper fertilizers. to insure. the usual
yield. The facts that this will. be the
case in South, Carolina are indisputa-
BILE and it Is believed that the, same
conditions obtain in most Of the. cotton
states. -
The survey Of the Peoples National
bank was made by means Of a ques-
tionnaire to every bank in: the state.
Nearly all the banks filed in the replies
to the questions asked. The summary
of the replies, made public Friday,
shows that the, farmers Of the state
now have on hand about So per cent of
the 1920 cotton crop, OF which nearly
81. per cent: grades under middling:i The
acreage reduction in the. state is esti-
mated in. the. -replies=at 1853 4per cent
and the reduction in. the use OF; COM
mercial fertilizers will be around 63 per
cent. Because Of the very great acre
age reduction, the small use Of fertiliz-
ers and the difficulty in securing -finan-
cial aid, it seems that the yield Of cot
ton in South Carolina during 1921 Will
be far less than in 1920" stated an Of
ticial of the bank in commenting on the
summary from the survey.
Continuing, the summary shows de-
cided majority of the, banks replying
stated emphatically that they would re-
quire an acreage reduction before
granting loans, while a great many
more who do not require it, will urge
and advise in favor of reduction. Prac-
ticaIly no bank in the state intends to
lend any money for the cash purchase
of fertilizers, the replies show, while
few Of the lien merchants Of the state
are prepared to extend credit to the
farmers this year, without the help OF
the banks: "Within the last day or
two" said one Of the bank officials, In
discussing the survey, reports have
been coming to us that many farms are
being abandoned because the tenants
are unable to make financial arrange
ments to>plant another crop OF cotton
under present conditions"
Right in line with, the bank survey
is the statement Of a we'll known fer-
tilizer concern q few days ago. Ills
statement was to the effect that not eV-
cry farmer would be able to secure fer
tilizcr this year, and very little is being
sold on time. He said he knew of. 1ar-
mers who paid cash for their fertilizers
last year, who have been denied fertil-
izcrs on a time basis. His opinion was
that the use of fertilizers would be ma
terially curtailed this year, despite the
fact that the price was from rs to 80
per cent less than obtaining last year.
The acreage of cotton and of other
crops will be cut considerably or the
crops will be attempted with the use OF
little or no fertilizers, he declared. Ills
statements are borne out by the course
adopted locally, as little fertilizer mas
been sold to date, say local dealers, ana
# is believed the same is true OF nearly
every locality.