226 
COTTON 
annual reward. In practice it goes further and not 
only grants this on its real investment, but includes 
dividends on a fictitious, watered capital as well. 
Take the trust. It secures not only its legitimate 
share of the water at the top of the hill, but through 
all sorts of schemes and tricks secures a great deal 
more. 
Take the man in exchange or in business. He 
meets with his fellow workers; he organizes and 
plans that competition may be met; that he may 
thus secure his share of water, and further that his 
share shall be protected for all future years. 
Then take the farmer — the cotton farmer. He 
meets not with his fellows; he organizes not; he 
goes to the top of the hill alone ; his part of the road 
is roughest of all; and when he gets there he is 
alone; it is dark and only with difficulty does he find 
water. At other times so many others are at the 
source of supply, and so well organized, that they 
crowd him back and away. 
So he takes what is offered and returns on his 
homeward journey. 
Going still further with our nonsense verse, we 
also discover that "Jack fell down and broke his 
crown, and Jill — she tumbled after." 
And here is the danger place in cotton produc- 
tion: the crop is produced, too much goes on the 
market all at once, or the market is manipulated, 
and over it goes. Jack fell and broke his crown. 
How many cotton farmers, think you, are ruined, 
because the cost of production — the trip up the 
hill — is more than the market place gives them ? 
But there is more to our story yet: When Jack 
fell down, "Jill came tumbling after." When 
cotton goes down, not only that man whose crop 
costs more than he secured for it is injured, but 
