The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1921-09-16
THE COTTON CROP


Various estimates have been mad
of the present cotton crop. The las
government estimate. we believe, fix
ed the number Of bales to be pro
duced at something more than 1000,
600. ::
Of the condition of the crop il
other places we cannot speak. But j:
the yield of cotton in this section i.
to be taken as an index to the yiele
over the cotton belt, we are of the
opinion that the yield will be much
less than 100000 bales. We do moi
believe that the yield in Abbeville
County will be more than one-third
of the yield of year ago. We make
this estimate from observation and
from reliable information received
from every section of the county. In
this'immediate vicinity and in certain
sections of the county the yield will
mott twenty-five per cent. of the
yield Of last year.
We believe that last years crop
totaled about 13,500,OOO bales.
Granting that in other states and in
other parts of the cotton belt the
yield will be better than here, and
remembering that in certain sections
of our own state, conditions are
much worse than with US, we are
forced to the conclusion, from the
reports made, that. the entire yield
in the United States will not be
more than one-half what it was a
syeart ago, and we should not be
surprised if it is as low as 40 per
cent. of last years yield. We say that
we: viii not be surprised if the lat
ter statement proves correct, and we
say SO for the reason that great
many farmers are counting on the
opening of the top crop of cotton,
which will never open. An examina-
ton of the bolls at the top of the
cotton plant will show that practical
ly all have been destroyed by the boil
weevil, and. few of them will ever
open: We d. not think that people
will gaths| much cotton as: they
are expecting, and their expectations
are short enough. i
The knowledge that the crop is
short has already had it's effect on
the price Of the staple. When we
remember that last year there was
carried over about eight and half
millions of bales of cotton, and that
the normal carry-over is about three
and a half million bales, and when
we add to the difference between the
two, six or seven millions of bales
(the present crop) it is evident that
manufacturers and spinners may not
expect to get the amount of cotton
needed for their purposes without
making a cotton famine. There may
be enough cotton to go around this
year and to satisfy the growing de-
mand of the spinners, but if the
carry-over shall be less than. normal,
or even as large as normal, and we
do not produce next year more than
eight or nine millions of bales of
cotton, it seems certain that the sup
ply will not meet the demand.
Just what further influence these
considerations will have on the price
OF. cotton cannot be foreseen. There
are so many things which enter into
the price of cotton that one factor
alone may not determine the price. /
But after all the biggest factor in
fixing the price is supply and de-
mand, and it seems certain that un-
til the boil weevil is successfully
whipped the supply of cotton in the
country is going to be less than the
demand for it, if the demand remairs'
normal. That should mean as cotton
men everywhere7are pointing out a ;
continued increase in the price of
cotton. That means too higher priced
cotton goods and higher priced
and wearing apparel gener-
allv