172 HUMAN FACTORS IN COTTON CULTURE 



according to the soil, the yield, the climate, and current 

 cultural practices. It is the time to settle up. With ware- 

 house receipts in hand, the "general merchant and cotton 

 buyer" goes over the books with his client, the cotton 

 grower. The bills are paid, and if the season has been 

 good the grower pockets the surplus in his overalls. The 

 landlord and his tenants hold their accounting of so much 

 furnished, so much rent, so many acres of corn, and so 

 many bales of cotton. The merchant settles with his whole- 

 sale jobber and pays off his note at the bank. The land- 

 lord is also in position for the first time to visit his 

 banker. 



Already business has begun to grow brisk in the Cot- 

 ton Belt towns. The drummers have made their rounds, 

 scented good cotton crops, and received large-sized Christ- 

 mas orders. The farmer's family now drives to town 

 every Saturday, the "old woman" sits hunched up in the 

 board seat with her lord and master, the kids and 

 "younguns" are likely to be piled on the floor on quilts. 

 The whole family is likely to be fitted for shoes; goods 

 for new dresses for the wife and the "kids" are in order. 

 The merchants do a rushing business and attempt to re- 

 coup in three months for the stagnation of a whole year. 

 Cheese and crackers, salmon and sardines, ice cream 

 cones, and bananas help to make Saturdays a treat for 

 all. Late in the afternoon the family starts home, "all 

 tired out" from walking the streets, but with more than 

 their usual supply of flour, coffee, sugar, with possibly 

 some "fancy groceries" included. While the parents were 

 gossiping, the children spent their time looking into store 

 windows. And they are not forgotten. "I got to buy some 

 Christmas for the kids; they're kinder expecting it," is 

 heard in the South regardless of the price of cotton. A 



