The Yazoo City Whig and political register. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 183?-1840, 1840-01-24
COTTON RAGGING.

The AGRICULTURAL ECONOMY OF MISSISSIPPI
is a subject at all times important, bu: pecu-
liarly so at present, in consequence of the
embarrassed situation of finances and all
branches of industry in our State. The
heavy burden of foreign debt resting upon
us, is loud and earnest admonition to our
citizens to produce within ourselves every
article of home consumption which is prac-
ticabIe. Much has already been done, as we
have occasionally noticed, in producing upon
our own plantations, articles of provision,
&c, which, heretofore, by purchasing them
abroad have contributed largely to swell our
foreign Indebtedness.
CoTToN BAGGING is one OF the largest items
of expense in preparing our great staple for
market, and for which we have annually
paid very large sum to our Western neigh
bors, constantly increasing or greatly ex-
tending the payment of our foreign engage
ments. This expense in former years will
about average five hundred and twenty thou
sand dollars; supPosing the crop to be $50 900
bales, six yards to the bale and the price 25
cents per yard. The present year the crop
will be, perhaps, near 100000 bales, the
price of bagging will average, say 80 cents
which will require payment out of the state
of 700 dollars. Perhaps this item ofex-
pense will not fall much, if any, short of ten
per cent. upon the amount of our whole
staple production.
Now, if we can raise our own Cotton
Tagging, it does not require an argument
to convince any man that the enterprise is
worthy ofprompt attention, and should forth
with command the talents and the industry
Of every man who can exercise an influence
in it.-Can we manufacture our BAGGING, out
of our own STAPLE, at an expense that will
justify it, rather than purchase the Hemp OF
the West or the Flax or Grass cloth of for
eign countries!
The question of the durability or useful
ness of this material for the purpose in ques-
ton, we regard as already settled. A most
agregious error has almost universally pre-
vailed in supposing that Cotton Cloth would
not last as well as Hemp, if exposed to the
weather and rough usage. Within the last
six or seven years, experiments have abund-
antly convinced every body that it will last
much better. Cotton is now applied to a
hundred uses which requires exposure to
the weather, for which previously it has been
regarded as entirely unfit. Our navy and
shipping generally use Cotton for very large
portion of their sail cloth. If manufacture
ed as it should be. it is better than the Ken
lucky cloth now used It will not tear so
easy nor viii it rot so quick.
The question then is as to the cost of it,
compared with that of the article which we
now use. We are not prepared at this mo-
ment to give any correct data as to the cost
OF manufacturing; but presume it will not
vary far from that of manufacturing the
Hemp cloth. The raw meterial for the cloth
We think, from the best information we can
get, can at all times be purchashed here for
about one half the price Of the midling or
fine quality of Cotton prepared for market
Ou- most inferior cotton is as strong, in coarse
fabric, the thread well twisted, as the finest
quality. And not only will the poorest and