The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1922-02-14
The Cotton Acreage.

The cotton Acreage.
The advisability of preventing bumper
cotton crop next season is now up for the
annual discussion. Various agencies and in
fuences will be employed to effect the de-
sired result, the cooperation Of farmers,
bankers, agricultural colleges, business men
and other groups being earnestly sought. In
this connection the Augusta Chronicle OF re-
cent date said:
A report has been made to the Augusta
cotton exchange by Mr.. II. A. Bremen, its
representative at the cotton conference
which was held recently in Memphis, Ten
nessee This conference was attended by
influential farmers, cotton merchants bank
ers, etc, from all over the south. The Sltua-
ton resulting from the low prices Tor the
crops. was discussed. The net result OF the
meeting was that the farmers OF the south
be urged to plant no more cotton in I9ZZ,
under any circumstances, than was planted
in 1921.
The reason for urging that the cotton acre
age be not increased must be obvious to any
farmer who in past years has seen the effect
of surplus OF cotton after the demand has
been supplied at an Improbable price. The
grower OF cotton cannot help seeing that
bumper crop, which he does not sell at fair
price, creates loss How, then, to avoid a
repetition Of the loss must be problem OF
quick interest to the tiller of the soil in the
cotton belt If he stopped long enough to
study the ways of the manufacturer, who les
sens production when there is little demand
and the market is weakened, he would put
himself in like position and conclude that such
he
for him. The farmer is a manufacturer OF raw
products because he grows them. He cannot
expect favorable returns on his investment
when he over-supplies the market He knows
what happens when the cotton market IS
gutted The price is forced down by the old
law Of supply and demand; hence, it is inn
peratve that he devote himself to ways and
means OF controlling his own business which
now must undertake more than mere produc-
ton The farmer must become salesman as
well as a grower OF cotton. He would learn
very easily. if he took the time to observe
operations of manufacturers, that they con-
slider sales organization as absolutely in
dispensable Some manufacturers believe a
good sales force is the most important depart
ment Of the business An article has little
value if it cannot be marketed prohtably, and
if it is produced in such quantities to destroy
its sale value by Cutting the market then
such overproduction can be put down as not
good business.
The natural question to be asked, follow
ing a discussion that cotton acreage must not
be increased, is: What shall the farmer GROVE
The best authorities, based on actual expert
ence. advise live stock and increased acreage
of fruits, melons, corn, grain, peas, velvet
beans and other crops which will not COM
pete in the market with cotton, and which
will provide a necessary rotation for improv-
ing fertility Of the soil.
The News believes that holding the cotton
acreage down will help the farmer solve one
of his perplexing problems. 1t has already
been shown how a small cotton crop has been
more valuable than a bumper production
would have been It is not that the farmers
should not raise enough cotton to supply the
worlds needs, but that they should not pro-
duce so much that the surplus would be Sc
large that the crop to great extent would
Ibe dead loss.