Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1924-01-10
1924 Cotton Crop


hearing from this source and
that of the enormous cotton crop
that will be planted this year in
the South. Northern journals
and newspapers. Northern and
Eastern textile men will predict
bumper crops. All of this pro-
paganda is spread for reason.
The time to hammer down
the price of the South's cotton
crop is NOW - today, every
day. There is no let-up. Day in
and day out, these fellows ham
mer away and their work is eff
fective.
There can be no bumper crop
this year, or next, in our opinion.
That little fellow known as the
boil weevil will look after that.
Farmers from the Carolinas
through Texas realize more full
ly each year the absolute neces-
sity of planting FEWER acres
to the pillow, and this is cutting
the number of acres and will
hold down the 1924 crop.
Another factor that enters in
To the question is | .AROR HIM
dreds of thousands of negroes
have gone North-and they
haven't come back, not by a
long shot. There are counties
near Sumter which are reporting
practically no negro labor at all.
This, too, will hold down the
cotton crop.
The Savannah Morning News
declares that some New York
ers are bearing the cotton mar
ket by reports they are now put
ting out, saying 'F$f
Some New York institutions,
which, for reasons, want to bring
down the price of cotton in the
South, are bearing the market by
reports that this section is plan
ming TO plant a bigger cotton
crop than the present one to
meet an expected shortage.
A prominent bank president
who has just returned to New
York City from a trip in the
Southern states gave this remark
able information. He tells the
papers that the planters of North
and South Carolina and Georgia
are in good financial condition
as the result of high cotton prices
and want to be in a position to
take advantage of the higher re-
Trims next season.
The total yield for last season,
said he is only a little over TO-
100000 bales, being 100000
bales less than the average an
nual production for the past five
or six years. The price value of
the cotton crop this year is at
least $500, 100000 more than last
years crop. Now, it is not prob
able that there will be a greater
amount of cotton cultivated next
year than was planted this year
In the first place, the boil weevil
has not ceased its ravages and
it will probably be some time be
fore there can be anything like a
normal acreage on this account.
In the second place, great many
negroes have gone North and
there is a scarcity of labor in the
South. So for some time to come
there will be reduced planting
and smaller yield of Southern
cotton. 1t looks as if the crop
next year would be 100000
bales shorter than the totals of
last year. The effcrt to create
sentiment in the North that the
South is planning for a bumper
crop this year is understood, but
the information given out is not
strictly reliable. The Press can
not for the life of it see where
there is any solid foundation for
the belief that the South has la
bor resources to put in a great
er acreage in cotton next year
than last.
1t is true that the South has
received about $300,000,0OO more
for the 30-cent cotton than in
1922. Many of our farmers are
in good condition in consequence.
But it would be a great mistake,
even if they were able, to prepare
for bumper crop in 1924.
The New York Commercial
has undertaken comprehensive
analysis of the cotton situation
from every angle, in series ol
articles, which in the opinion Of
the Selma Times establishes one
fact, and that is that there is not
enough cotton to go around. The
FINES in am editorial entitled,