University of South Carolina Libraries
ALLUNCB DBPTRTMBPIT. J. F. NISBET Editor. I take this means of letting Alliancemen know that our bagging is here and we would bo glad if you would come and get it as .soon as possible. J. F. Nisbkt, B. A., L. C. FARM. TOPICS. Everything and everybody is on a strain, as the saving goes, on the cotton farms of the South to get. the cotton out of the fields. The present crop is what isI called a July crop. August has been a very dry, hot month, and cotton has opened very early, especially in the middle and lower counties of our State, and all the way South of us. We rode about one thousand miles through the cotton lands of Texas, Arkansas. Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia recently, and we sawmore cotton open in the fields 1 than we ever saw before in the month ot August. We were also 1 impressed with the fact that this crop was certainly going to be shorter than the crop ol 1SD8 While we don't like to advise the holding of cotton, we teel satisfied that the price ol cotton will ad vance when once the spinning world is fully informed us to tlx true condition of the crop. It 1 will take the cotton manufactu rers of Europe some little time to be convinced that Mr. Neill 1 has made a serious mistake in his 1 estimate of ihe crop of 1899. I It will be a sale decision for ' our people to sell all their first picking while the cotton io ereen , and heavy, and hold on to all ot ' the last crop until the spring < months. By all means pick your cotton out as soon as it opens. Don't allow it to be picked while it is wet either from rain or dew. See to the ginning, and don't allow it to be napped or gin cut ; have it neatly packed in heavy bales;! rvrnfnnf if <Va?v? !?/? ? ~~ ? i 1 M ' |/iuivuv 11 IIW111 ?u?- WTitl ll'T 111)111 j I ready to sell, and you will always I command the top of the market. ' Good cotton always sells l?#?ttc?r !1 than a lower grade in proportion to the difference ir the grades. One of the worst leaks on the Southern farm is the want of i economy in the gathering and |1 preparing our cotton crop tori' market. A tanner inav have line; , I lands, proj)itious seasons and all L the incidents to successful pro 'i duction, t>tit if he pays no atten 1 tion to the gathering of hi- si >j?I? 1 he is no hotter oil than the most careless farmer and tin* one who takes no pride in anyth <lie |, does. From the moment 11.? <o* , A Narrow Escape. Thankful words written L, Mi>., Ada E. Hart, of Groton, S. I).' "Was taken .vith a had cold wlncti aAllloH on mu Innm #>......1. ? ' uvvvav^i ?/m <! J <U ll^n , \ Ml II Ml and finally terminated in ? on sumption. Four Doctors put up, saying I could )>v?? but * hiiort time. 1 uave myself up to my : Savior, determined if could not ! stay with my friends on earth, I would meet my absent ones a hove. My husband was advised to get Dr. King's New Discovery fori Consumption, Coughs and Colds j I gave it a trial, took in all eight bottles. It has cured me, and thank God, I am saved and now a well and healthy woman." Trial | bottles free at Crawford Bros.' Drng Store. Regular size 50c and $1.' Guaranteed or price refunded. 1.1 ton crop ie> matured, no labor is better repaid than that in getting the cotton out of the fields, out of the weather and even out of the sun. If all the cotton that is made was saved in good condition and brought its full value we firmly believe the amount saved would be more than the entire taxes of the State. Therefore, we must be pardoned for again urging our farmers to be careful in the picking and ginning of the cotton, crop. See that the ginner who gins your cotton has a good gin and that it is kept in proper condition. Napped cotton and that which is cut by the saws always sell for less than even dirty cotton which is well ginned, from the fact that the manufacturers have the proper machines for cleaning it of the dirt and leaf left in it, but when the fibre is once destroyed, its value is in like manner im paired. Again we say protect your cotton after it is prepared for market if you do not intend to sell at once. If it is worth gathering, picking and packing for market, it certainly is worth protecting from the weather. If these par liculars are strictly attended to, the cotton crop would bring the producer from one to two cents per pound more than it does when prepared in a careless manner. We would like to see the newspapers* of the country take up this subject and not let it rest, until proper retormation in the particulars mentioned has been jfleeted. D. 1*. D. "Best on the market for coughs and :olds and all bronchial troubles; for iroup it. has no e.tual," writes Henry K. Whitford, South Canaan, Conn., of ine Minute Cough Cure. Crawfoid Bros. d-w-? Til a* I 'i\# wo vunuu The wise men are now doing iheir guessing at the number ol' bales that will be the outcome ol the present crop. I call it "guessing,v but I do not mean to intimate that it is entirely "guess work." There is generally a basis of more or less teliable in formation of crop conditions for the estimates that, are put forth with confidence by the guessers. My own experience as an official nop statistician (state) for 14 sears illustrated the wonderfully near approach to the actual tacts may be secured by averaging the :-.-iimaies of a small number ol unties in i -tale, as to the eon litimi and prospects of any jtiven rop at any ^iven date. The ex I ri'ini's ot liiizii and low may he 'reines indeed, away up in the lotids or away down in the tepihs: Init these offset each ?t her. and the final general iveraye" is the boiled down > I in i ii a oi t lie ino-t conservative -I iinates. Ihit I inn not preparing the i< ader lor a per>onal or individual ' liinate ol the present crop, al ihoii^li I don't mind saying that I In lieve it will be the shortest crop we have had in several ir- and will tall below rather than above 10,(100,000 bales. I as in Texas, in the very heart ol the black belt, about the middle ot .Inly, and came home via A r !v a li sas ivi'i.1 -iiiil mi(l/ll#> 'P.... mm UIKIWIU fi ll I have late letters from tlie country about Waco; but above all, I have a general knowledge ol the weather conditions that have prevailed in the eoun try generally. 1 put these things together nnd the effect of them is to impress the connection that we are on the eve of a short crop and of better prices than we have y had in several years. I do not wish to pose as a prophet and don't intend to ; nor do I wish to influence any farmer to any risky plans ; but there is not much risk in "making haste slowly." I have never seen the market price advance under the mpre stimulus of heavy receipts, but I have often seen the price go down as the direct result of heavy receipts and forced sales. In The Weekly Constitution of December 20, 1897, was published a table, prepared by myself, showing the price of middling cotton on the first Monday in each month of the year for a period of 12 years. The informa tion was collated from "Shepper son's Cotton Facts" for 1S97, and some interesting and unexpected facts were developed. For instance, it was shown that the highest market price of a season was reached? In September, 4 times ; in October, 1 time; in November, 1 time; in January, 1 time; in March, 1 time ; in June, J times ; in August, 1 time. The lowest price of each season was reached? In September, 1 time ; in Oc tober, 1 time ; in November, 3 times; in January, 1 time; in Mach, 2 times; in April, 1 time, and in August, 3 times. So it appears during the 12 years from 18S4 to 1890, the market has not shown a tendency to "go up" during the early months of the season, but the reverse. The usual course ot the market alter September 1st is downward ; and according to the average the price does not rally until June. It will be observed that November 1st is an unfavorable time to sell. In the 12 years under re view the price was at the lowest lor the season three times. Of course this is explained by the fact that many farmers have obligations to meet on November 1, and the interior markets are more or less glutted. Now, as to the effect of Mr. Neill's, or any one else's estimates : If Neill has sources of information that are not accessible to others and he is an honest and conscientious man, his opinions and crop estimates are especially valuable. Hut it his work is more or less guess work, and especially if his judgment is warped, or his utterances influenced by an undue amount of butter on one side of his bread, the whole should not amount to a "row of pins" in its effect on the market. It is idle to say that Mr. Neill can keep on "crying wolf, wolf," and scare j nr.si me ouyers ana men me sellers?the manufacturers and then the farmers. "lie may scare part jot tiie people all of the time, and | all of the people part ot the time, j hut he cannot tool all the people jail the time." Indeed, it should soon come to pass that he cannot fool anybody any of the time, and irive [dace to another prophet. I believe that the old slow-and easy methods of the statistical bureau ol t he national depart men t ol agriculture are more correct and reliable than any of the others. The I riited .States stalls tician ou^ht to lie an honest man, I and I believe he is. The methods of the department are more systematic and have in the past been more successful in jriving timely ! information than any of the other cotton prophets. Let us hear what Mr Wilson will say on the 10th of September. I venture to J iruoss that the reports based on the condition of the crop Scptem her 1 will show a lower condition than has appeared in five years. It. J. Redding. Dp Witt's Little Early Risers pcrmanently cure chronic constipation, biliousness, nervousness and wornout feeling; cleanse and regulate the entire system. Hmall, pleasant, never gripe or sicken?"famous little pills." Crawford llros. d-w-s In Wash don't scrub it and wear off the surface. Use Gold Dust Washing Powder according to directions printed on every package and you will be pleased with the results and surprised at the saving in labor. 8*nil for free booklet?" Golden Rule* for lloueework." THE N. K. FAIRBANK COMPANY Chicago Si. Loula NcwYork Boatoa r %%%%%%%%Buy a NEW I Are you BUY! sewing machine ? anything about the NEW If not, would it be wise t< ined and tested its merit now in use in more than well known that we do nc a long list of testimonia speak the truth, when we s best, simplest, most perfec durable and gives less 1 any other SEV machine made. If you wife or daughter, avoi< using a cheap-made, hai money?save doctor's b machine that is light never out of order, and .One that stands entirely not have to be compared ! AACI . to impress you of its go I right?may be a little hi article cannot be made 1 I styles and prices before y< buy direct from the fac j machine fully guaranteed IENTERPRK Lianca.? rHUUU Buy a NEW ? ! 4/%- %%%%%%%% ? ting Paint . iRfBm ggjfis IlillllP WashinfiPowitec| * IOME Machine. % thinking of [NQ A If so, do you know HOME d buy until you have exam- / s? The NEW HOME is a million families and is so )t deem it necessary to add Is to convince you that we ?ay the NEW HOME is the :t, lightest running and most trouble to purchasers than 11 11NV? value the health of your 1 the injurious effects of rd-running machine. Save ills?by buying a sewing ^ running, easy to manage, does not worry the mind. . (3ii its own merits. Does i with other -IINES A od quality. Our prices are gher than some, but a good or nothing. Examine our >u purchase elsewhere. We ;tory, and can sell you a >E PUB. CO, iter, S. O. [OME Machine. ^