Evening star., 1923-12-01
1924 COTTON CROP
MAY Be INCREASED
Planters and Business Men
in South Seek to Meet
, Threatened Shortage.
BY J. @. ROYLE.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, December AL
though tho 1923 cotton crop is still In
process Of marketing, far-sighted
business men in both north and south
already are turning their attention to
the possibilities Of the 1924 season for
the staple.
Conservative estimates show that
$4,000. .Oo0.bale crop will be necessary
In 1924 to supply the mill demand up
10 the harvesting of the 1875 crop.
The question now worrying growers.
textile men and merchants Is wnetneI
the south can grow la,ovo,ovoroat
which the high prices Of the 1898 year
have given. 49,.
the acreage planted to cotton mex.
any previous year. 1t is practically
certain. however. that the planting o.
suoh an acreage would be followed
by a correspondingly large ABANDON.
ment. For the labor situation neSs ehs
year will be one OF the most serious i'0
south has ever face.
Labor Shortage Feared.
II is conservatively estimated that
1e per cent of the negroes In Geor
gia left the state this year. ms
movement has been duplieate1 IN
other sections of the soutn. Esen
territory south of the Mason and
Dixon line have shown DECIDED an an
clination to abandon the country as
tricts for the cities and 10 %o,h :"
factories rather than In the neius.
MANY sections expect to find az least
20 per cent of their former fleid hanas nus
missing next spring. There ls .r,, s..
some call for negroes in the northehhn eha
Industrial sections and many ol s
southern workers who were expec.eu
20 t,,rn homeward when cold weather
set in are still in the nortn. ,a,.
The campaign to induce Wui.e
tiers to go TO the south. eisner ,at
owning or tenant farmers ns,anu. mas p.
able additions to the cotton grow,,h,s Is
population of Texas are eAp
winter.
R.rkers to Aid Planters.
Experienced planters declare tnat
even the shortage OF labor Will nov
serve to reduce the acreage appIseie
bly, because planters. lhhaii, tn III, "a
much soil as possible. Bankers wa
In nreyious years have discourageo
large cottor, paintings. at presehd,
are disposed to afford all tne the ae
ppo1,nd they think they can cultivate.
These financiers think that there
practical certainty that there Wiz Wiz
he no carryover from the 1879 wor.o .su
supply, and that consequently AZ ,oss
cotton which can be grown IN est nsst
viii find ready market at mos.
from the is22 crop was s.57s,ooe
bales and heretofore there mas nes 81
been a situation In the the nis,o was no
the industry where there
TSs destruction wrought by the
boil weevil has brought about co .h.
pIete revision OF conditions In ihe
cation Industry and In cotton SPIN
ming and the 1924 outlook unooto., n,
edIv depends largely on the eAts
TO which growers can compat .r,o
pest. Mining and chemicai ,he
nanies in various sections or .he
Country are preparing to turn out
heavily increased supply or caiciush
srsenate, which has been touno 81!
Sective In the fight against the eo'-
ton parasite.
Push BOIL weeviI Fight.
In Georgia arrangements already
have been made by the eommiss.o..ie
Of agriculture to buy large quantitles
OF this insecticide at 10 cents pounu
for distribution to Georgia plahtelss
at cost. Southern congressman ana
senator's now are discussing se,x,n1 ,ne pvn
the poison to farmers, and strong
pressure is being brought TO pea.
to have the tariff on arsenic removed
before the next planting season.
As to the present cotton supply.
Widespread and detailed reports from
the entire south show that In the
greater number of cases farmers are
both willing and financially able to
hold their stocks for higher prices.
This is especially true In districts
where cooperative marketing asso-
Citations have been most active.
BUYERS are combing the country
for odd lots. for spinners have been
galvanized into action by realization
that there is only enough cotton in
sight to keep rs per cent of the
worlds spindles turning until the
1924 crop comes on the market.
Demand for goods from China and
india is growing, as stocks are short
in the far east. where the long SON.
tinued boycott in India against
British goods has kept dealers from
buying.