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THE COTTON CROP OF ipoi-oS
NO GROUND FOR APPREHENSION
ABOUT THE PRICE.
Why An Increase in the Acreage is Absolutely
Impossible.
BY BON. MAKTIN Y. CALVIN.
The agricultural and manufacturing
r situation, for obvious reasons, was
(never so interesting or vital as now.
The purpose ot this article is not to
Kgive the farmers advice. They do not
need it. The sturdy men who wrought
order out of chaos, who have restored
to the South, in aggregate amount, the
fortunes which were swept away by
war; who have grappled with, and suc
cessfully solved, a larger number and a
greater variety of difficult problems
than were ever thrust upon the atten
tion of any body of irpn in the world,
do not need advice. But they do need
to participate in, and follow, the dis
cussion, now in progress throughout
z this country and Europe, of the issues
I j involved in the situation with which
V they are now face to face.
f’? A portion of the press seems to be
apprehensive lest the true price ot cot
ton, (by some regarded as abnormally
high), should lead to a greatly increas
ed acreage in the plant this year.
Crop Will Be Worth Over
12 1-2 Cents.
Before touching upon that important
question, I wish to emphasize the fact
th t the crop of 1904-05 will command
12)4c to 15c, with 15c as the average
price for the entire crop rather than
The lack of cotton, not speculation,
L fixed the price of the crop, 1903-04. A
| comparatively small crop will hold the
true price steady for 1904-05.
r, It would be perfectly natural, under
* labor oondit’ons which prevailed fifteen
years ago, that the cotton acreage
would be greatly increased. Existing
oonditions forbid resort to snch a policy.
More than that, existing conditions,
which are a matter of growth not ac
cident, will not permit the favorable
consideration of such policy.
Regardless of what he might like to
do, there is not a farmer in Georgia, or
in any of the eight strictly ootton
States, who does not know that it would
be exceedingly unwise to attempt the
acreage of last year, much lees an in
4, crease of that acreage.
Lack of Labor Will Prevent
Increase
Very recently, the writer was In con
ference with representative agricultur
ists from every congressional district in
this State—observant, conservative,
gentleman each of them. In reply to
inquiry on my part, each reported that
it was practically impossible to secure
requisite farm labor so far as the negro
is concerned, and that for this reason,
if tor no other, an increase in the cot
ton acreage is absolutely impossible.
Another important view: Current
r discussioh has impressed upon the
minds of the farmers the fact that, on
k an average, the crop of 1903-04 was no*
b a profitable crop. Why? Because
F three aorps o( land were necessary to
the production of one bale.
There is no money in ootton unless
the yield per acre be one-halt to three
quarters of a bale—a' 500-pound bale
'j' This is now generally accepted as a
fact.
Is tahor scarce; difficult to engage, be
.. cause of wages or Because of antagon
ism between landowners and laborer?
Not at all,. The young negroes, who
today constitute the body from which
'' farlii help is obtained, are in a transition
state and averse to the character of
V 't^brk" hecessltty on a farm, That work
is In no pense. exhaustive, but it must be
regular anfi persistent from the day the
cfop‘is toitclled,tiUlt is harvested.
The situation in Georgia is duplicated
• ■ >in each of the cotton States.
How Farmers Will Compass
• 1 ‘ ; Situation.
Existing conditions would be alarm
ing I had almost said appalling, were
v, i■ ot fcir tae inexhaustible resources and
tius mfalr-ei courage of the farmers.
Vitas-..- , the 'armors will ccm
'he -Huation, aid sumtnarilv rel
to the rear every obstacle that
’ •' in their pathway.
.. v?
st, by reducing the cotton acre-
ond by a more thorough prepara
of tne.soil, making each acre a
-tied bv the skillful use of im
d Libor saving farm implements.
' ant to run in a parenthesis right
in or ier > i say that through labor
gfirm tin dements and machinery,
' tout ip ■iv <d daring the past
• to *i, iir problem will be easily,
n .ut vj iruy aad most profitably
f d.
"rd, by the u-e of the best seed,
ar «r and more prolific varieties
erred.
s' >arth, by adopting the check system
of planting—four feet by three feet
generally; in many instances four feet
by font feet instead of the old system
of three feet rows and two feet drill.
Fifth, by freer and more liberal, i. e ,
intelligent application of high grade
commercial fertilizers, rich in food
especially adapted to the plant.
Sixth, by the best method of cultiva
tion.
The Right Kind Fertilizer.
Chemists, who analyze soil and fer
tilizers, tell us that phosphoric acid,
nitrogen and potash are the elements in
which generally the soil is more or less
deficient. A long series of careful ex
periments have demonstrated, beyond
all doubt, that the three element
named suit tin to one another a rela
tionship that is expressed by
Available phosphoric acid is of su
preme importance to cotton. Soil coa
dit o.is considered, nitrogen stands
next; potash next.
The thought is to get a balanced
ration, and feed it to the plants, accord
ing to soil, at the rate of 300 to 400
pounds or 450 to 500 pounds per acre—
a 500 pound bale of cotton from an acre
being the standard, toward which every
effort should be persistently directed.
Every farmer will, of course, cling to
the old practice of spreading over his
land and plowing in, all the stable and
lot manure he can command, and leaf
mould according to his judgment.
Existing labor conditions cannot be
changed. By and by,we shall have a full
quota of labor and to spare. Meantime,
the young gentlemen in Georgia, and
other cotton States, who cheerfully be
gun work on the farm January, 1904,
will make a crop of cotton that will be
a profit producer. In addition to that
crop, they will, as a rule, make home
supplies in abundance.
Young Gentlemen Turning to the
Farm.
I bring you the assurance that a larger
number of young gentlemen in Georgia
have contentedly turned to fai-m work
this year than at any time in thirty
years. I have given considerable at
tention to this feature ot the situation,
and I know that what I have stated is a
fact. It means much for our grand old
commonwealth.
A greatly exaggerated idei, as to the
crop of the eleven years, 1889-’9O and
1899-1900, has crept into the publ c
mind. It is true that- the crop of 1897-
*9B amounted to 1,199 994 (489-pound)
bales, and that of 1899 '99 aggregated
11,274,840 ( 489 pound) bales, but the
average yield per year, the eleven
years, was less than nine million bales.
So that with the two large crops men
tioned, the actual average yield per
year, the eleven years, was only 8,816,-
117 bales. ;
With the most favorable seasons, the
crop of 1964 'OS can not possibly exceed
10,()00,(MX).balee if, by chance, it should
reach that number.
The world’s necessitous demand is
nearer twelve million than eleven mil
lion bales.
No Anxiety Need be Feit.
The gravity of the situation, as it re
lates to the cotton consumers of the
world, was voiced by the King of Eng
land, in his recent stated address from
the throne. His majesty pointedly
touched upon the scarcity of cotton and
the unpromising prospect for a large
crop of American cotton during the
year under consideration, and probably
for five to ten years to follow.
No anxiety need be felt in this coun
try as to the renewed and redoubled ef
forts which all Europe proposes to put
forth to grow her own cotton. She can
not grow American ootton ; that is in
digenous to our soil. Europe tried cot
ton culture in 1861-’65. She made then,
as she can again make, cotton of a cer
tain texture and grade, but it is lacking
in the high quality of the American
grown staple.
I repeat an encouraging and controll
ing fact: During the decade, 1890-1900,
while increase in the number of bales
consumed was 61 per cent., the increase
in the number of bales produced was
only 29 per cent.
those figures are far from being
meaningless.
Inclosing this article, I want to stand
uncovered in the presence of the young
gentlemen in Georgia and the South
who, having put their hands to the
plough, will not turn back. An imme
diate future of great prosperity and
usefulness awaits them.
The slogan is: A reduced acreage;
one 500>ound bale, at least, from each
acre. Martin V. Galvin.
Augusta, Ga , Feb. 22, 1904.
LJfemjß Y2UNG
A PUZZLING TRICK.
It 1* Done With Domino* and Will
Myatffy Your Friend*.
A good trick with dominos is per
formed as follows: Arrange twelve of
them in a circle, as shown in the ac
companying picture, and tell one of
your little friends present that you will
point out any domino that he may
think of.
When be says he is ready you tell
him that you will count round the cir
cle by touching the dominos promiscu
ously. each touch counting one, and
that when you have counted twenty,
including the number of spots on the
THE DOMINOS ARRANGED.
domino thought of, he must toll yon
to stop, and your finger will then rest
on the piece chosen.
Let us suppose, for illustration, that
he thinks of the double deuce, you, of
course, not knowing that. Begin, touch
ing the pieces with your finger, count
ing 1,2, 3,4, 5,6, 7, and so forth, skip
ping about the circle as you count. But
when you come to the eighth count you
must touch the double six and then
count regularly around to the right.
Thus slx-tive will be 9, double five 10,
five-four 11, and so on until you come
to double deuce, when he tells you to
stop, because that is the domino he
thought of, the four spots on which,
added to your count of 16, make 20.
This rule holds good, no matter what
domino may be chosen by the specta
tors. The performer of the trick must
not count aloud or even appear to be
counting as he goes around the circle,
and the more quickly he moves his fin
ger the neater will be the trick.
THE FRUIT BASKET.
A Game For Girls That Will Bring
Out a Lot of Fun.
Fruit basket is a game for girls, and
it is one out of which can be had a
great deal of fun. This game may be
played with chairs, or benches, if
chairs are not convenient. Arrange an
even number, say fourteen chairs, in
two parallel lines, seven in a line. Four
teen girls are seated in these chairs, and
the fifteenth odd one stands between
the rows, carrying a covered basket.
She walks up and down, swinging it.
She stops suddenly before the first girl
and says;
“I’ve been in the garden this morn
ing gathering currants.’’ As she says
the name of the fruit the first girl must
cry, “Currants, currants, currants!” be
fore the odd girl says It again, and this
is repeated down the lines, changing
the name of the fruit each time. At the
first failure every one jumps up and
changes her seat, and in the confusion
the odd girl must try to get a seat,
there being one, of course, always left
to take her place, and so it goes on.
Some Vionderfnl Things.
Until recently it was supposed that
where the ocean is deepest no organic
life existed. No light penetrates there
to any great extent, and the pressure of
the water is -terrific. Wood, for In
stance, is compressed to half its size if
lowered 3,000 feet. But recent scientific
discovery proves that even in those
mighty deeps great forests of seaweed
cover the bottom of the ocean and
reach to the surface. In these strange
forests spiders and dreadful wormlike
animals of tremendous size exist, also
sea urchins, shells and millions of other
things. It might not be a pleasant for
est in which to take a walk. It might
seem like a nightmare, but there is no
denying the fact that it would be a
wonderful place, a real enchanted for
est
KOMEIARECOR) IC
1
Novel Method of Curing Catarrh. So'd
on Approval by Druggist tirooka.
The popularity and remarkable sales
of Hyomei have broken all records. In
nearly every city and town in the
country, this guaranteed cure for ca
tarrh has given most astonishing re
sults.
The leading druggists are so enthus
iastic over the remarkable percentage
of cures following the use of Hyomei,
that with hardly an exception, they
advertise to their customers that Hv
omei will be sold with the undemand
ing that it costs nothing unless it
cures.
In the News and Son Druggist
Brooks is endorsing it and gu .rantee
ing to refund the money unless Uy
omei cures citarrh They have sold a
great many Hyomei outfits, and today
no other treatment for the cure of ca
tarrh has as many friends in Griffin
and vicinity as Hyomei.
It is a scientific, yet common sense
method of treating and curing this to<>
commou disease. It sends by direct
inhalation to every cell of air passages
in the head, throat and lungs,® balsamic
air that destroyed all catarrhal germs,
purifies the blood with additional ozone,
and makes a complete and lasting cure
of any catarrhal trouble.
The outfit costs but 11. and includes
an inhaler, medicine dropper and suf
ficient Hyomei for several weeka’ treat
ment.
You take no risk in buying Hyomei.
Druggist Brooks positively guarantees
to refund your money unless it cures.
When Japan
Saw War Was Inevitable
With Russia
the products of that country depreciated in value very much and our buyer took
advantage of this opportunity and purchased over 50,000 yards of
Japan and China
> MATTING!
at very low prices—‘in fact, nearly 50 per cent, under former prices. This
Matting has just arrived and is now on sale, ranging in prices from 15 to 35
cents, in plain, fancy and carpet effects. Ask to see them when you visit the
Big Store.
For the next thirty days we will make cut prices on all Carpets, Granite,
Linen, Unions, Wool Ingrains, all wool 2 and 3 ply and Brussels Carpets with
border to match. All carpets have advanced, but we will cut below the old
prices for thirty days. Remnants of Carpet and Rugs to go in this cut price
sale. Foot Mats, Oil Cloth, Linoleums, Window Shades and Lace Curtains.
Don’t Miss This Special Sale
A WE SELL £
® FAY’S
B STOCKINGS! 11
For ladies, boys and ,ins Need no supporters. Best for wear, health, com
fort, economy. T *t>» m he next you buy. They will give you the best satis
faction summer or winter
.zssszsssszzszzszzszzszvzzzszzzzszzzzzz /ssss> £zz y r
Embroidery Silks !
at Cut Prices.
Corticelli, Belding, Richardson. Brainard & Armstrong’s Embroidery
Silk at 24c skein. * .
|L./ZTZZfZZZZZZZZZZAZZ'ZZZZZZZZ/ZZZ/V/y." ZZZA/AZZ Z tZZzyfZZZ /77 Z . . A z/ rz
~r zT z4z z't JX] JXizz-szz > /Z7ZZv ?zzsv7zzsvzzsza s’ t
40 inch White Lawn at 10c yard, worth 15c.
36 inch wide Check Dimity at 124 c. worth 18c.
Sea Island Percale at 10c vard, sold elsewhere at I2jc.
New York Mills Bleaching at 10c yard, mills ask 12 cents at the factory
and sold over the counter at 15c.
W ? bought our cotton goods when cotton was selling at 7-j-c pound. We
will sell all cotton goods according to the purchase, w hich is a big saving to the
people.
Come and see our prices on Silks, Dress Goods, etc., etc.
BASS BROS CO