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Show i HIGHER PRICES FOR COTTON Southern Farmer Has Brighter Outlook Out-look Than for Several Years High Prices Assured. The southern farmer, although he has produced less cotton In 1915 than lor several years and much less than last year, has a brighter and more hopeful outlook than for many years. Some Jump at the conclusion that thia is solely because he has produced less cotton, but this Is by no means the only reason. The bumper crop of last year would have brought ten cents a pound, but for the business panic, forced marketing and false statements reiterated by practically all the so-called so-called cotton "authorities." The smaller small-er crop is responsible for a demand for cotton in excess of the supply, but the price can only be maintained by the independence of the producer, writes Tait Butler in the Progressive Farmer. When debts have to be paid in the South cotton must be sold, and it is only by lessening the debts, by producing pro-ducing food and feed supplies on the farm, that independence can be maintained. main-tained. The cotton farmers of the South are going to get a good price for their cotton cot-ton this year as much because of the fact that they have diversified to a large extent as because of the fact that the crop Is small. Had we been as independent of the supply merchants mer-chants and as free from debt last year as we are this, it would have added ad-ded at least two cents per pound to the price of cotton. With cotton selling at a profitable price at this time, the South stands on the brink of danger, probably greater than ever before in her history. his-tory. Safety exists only In maintaining maintain-ing the progress towards feeding ourselves, our-selves, which we have made In 1915. If we fail to sow a large oat and wheat crop this fall and seed the bare lands with cover, pasture and soil-improving crops, no power on earth "Will prevent pre-vent a large cotton acreage next year. The cotton acreage will be increased next year, there is no doubt of that, but by determining to produce all the feedstuffs and other supplies we need for 1916, the increase in the acreage of cotton will not be so great. We cannot can-not only hold down the increase in the cotton acreage, but also lessen the bad effects of any increase which may occur, oc-cur, only by starting now to grow next year's supplies. If the price of cotton remains high we are almost certain to lose some of the progress which we have made this year toward "Diversification and Independence"; but to go back to old ideas and conditions will be suicidal. Oats and wheat do better seeded earlier than is generally advised and practiced. The Hessian' fly does little damage to wheat in the South, where the crop has not been generally gener-ally grown, and for that reason it may probably be sown earlier than generally gener-ally recommended. With oats earlier seeding is of tremendous advantage. The only way to hold the cotton acreage within- bounds next spring is to seed a .large acreage of oats. Oats and corn are safe crops in the South. Hay crops are safe and always profitable. profit-able. Wheat, to a limited extent, is a good and safe crop in the northern third of the cotton belt if sown on good land. .These crops must be used to keep down" the cotton acreage. To the extent they can be used on the farm, at least, they pay as well as cotton cot-ton and better when the cotton crop is too large. The southern farmer will be put to a severe test next spring. If he Is wise and is capable of learning from experience he will not plant a larger acreage to cotton in 1916 than he did in 1915. If he fails in this crucial test, if he falls under the temptation to plant all cotton next year the wheels of progress will be stopped and will move with greater difficulty for many years to come. |