The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-08-06
ALABAMA COTTON LOOKS UP

Reports from various parts of Ala bama regarding the cotton crop show the expectation of good yield. It has evidently been good growing season with the weather permitting uninter- rupted cultivation. It is also significant that the boil weevil has been held in check by weather conditions, or by pois- oning or both. This in itself is a very encouraging feature, for it proves that the weevil will yield to control meas ures. The field tests of last year, while showing good control results, did not prove conclusively that the calcium ar- senate treatment would hold the pest in check over wide areas. Now that scores of farmers are poisoning the weevil this year where one tried it last year, the prevalence of the insect shows marked reduction and the prospects of heavy yield are correspondingly brighter.
 But mere destruction of the weevil has not been the only cause of betterment in cotton production. The necessity for several years of having to raise crop in spite of. the weevil has taught the grower better methods of culture that will be of immense advantage even if the weevil should be reduced to unimpor- tance. In the first place, many progress sive planters have discovered that these improved methods have doubled, trebled and in some cases even quadrupled their former yields under the old methods of production and crop management. A bale to the acre was formerly regarded as the supreme possibility of cotton pro- duction under the best conditions and with the best of soil. To raise bale to the acre was not then regarded as some thing entirely within the control of man, but rather as something due to chance and good luck. But now the farmer who has raised bale to the acre knows that he can repeat the process at will; while there are some greedy fellows who have raised bale and half and two bales to the acre. If some farmers can raise bale to the acre when they apply good farming principles, there is reason to believe that the planters of Alabama can confidently look forward to the time when the average yield shall be more than half bale instead of so much less than that, as at present.
 And now, instead of looking with mis- giving upon Che new crop lest by it's very size it shall depress the market, the pro- ducer may confidently expect his co- operative cotton-marketing association to feed the crop to the market in such a manner as to obviate any sudden break in prices. There is not too much cotton in the world. In fact, it is altogether likely that intelligent development of the cotton market at home and abroad would reveal a demand for which the supply is inadequate. It is believed that the farm marketing organizations are ready to attempt this task. This year will be a real test for cooperative marketing of cotton, for the necessity for expert salesmanship and knowledge of the mar ket will be greater than at any period since the associations have been opera tive. It is imperative that the organ izations meet this test.
 In all this new attitude towards the growing of cotton there is one reward which is not sufficiently emphasized. It is the margin of profit that automatic ally accrues from the raising of more pounds to the acre. Unless some extraor- dinary and costly means are employed for increasing the yield, an increased yield signifies a lower cost of produc- tion per pound of staple. With a given price this saving in cost amounts to an addition to the margin of profit. Inas- much as the intrinsic value of cotton to humankind does not change from year to year, it logically follows that there should be no great change in price from year to year. Just as the manufacturer can calculate in advance the probable selling price of his product, and to some extent even control it, so the cotton planter should be able in advance to es- innate the selling-price with some degree of reliability, and with measured market ing to exercise come control over it's fluctuationsI9 The purpose of the pro- ducer, howeter, is not, like that of the price manipulator, to cause fluctuations for gambling purposes, but to reduce fluctuations to q minimum. Price sta bility is the goal of the organized farm CTS. With good crop and friendly sales agency, it looks as if the planter is nearing his goal.
 VOYAGE OF THE AERONAUTS
 Of four sturdy planes which started several weeks ago on the flight around