, 1862-01-30

Interesting Letter from Hon, N. n
Rnnpp-..Other Statements.

Knnpp--.other Statements.
Editors Chicago Tribune:
AS observe that your energetic and wide
awake sheet has become to 4 great extent the
medium OF ideas md fncts concerning cotton
culture In our State, have thought to write
you communication upon the subject, if per
adventure might add modicum to the ac-
cnmulating information. know nothing to the
point, Of myself; but it happened, on yester-
day, that two old settlers, both 'sreliable and
respectable men, came into my office, and
introduced the subject, and elected from them
1aets which were Of intcrestto me, aud n1ay be
to your readers. I will therefore communi-
cate them in substantially their own words.
Mr. Lorenzo Edwards says: I moved to
Madison county, Ill, in 1877, where lived till
1924; during all those years and ny neigh
bo1s raised cotton, which We manufactured by
hand into clothes for our families. The cotton
brown domestic was then worth seYenty-tiye
cents per yard, and it was an object to mike
our own cotton goods. We planted our cotton
as early as possible for the frost, in drills, four
feet apart, and thinned the plants to foot
rows together, commonly, to form ma Dr.. dry
plant; VIC cultivated it With Wife The The
hoe mostly, though the plow and hoe
f42t 6otil we're used in the larger patches.
the growl Ii and send the growth Of the plant
into the lower bolls. We found new land the
best, because more free from weeds, and cast
est cultivated. The bolls began to open In
Jniy, and continued to open tilt frost, and even
alter frost many would open, and the cotton
yellow: As to the quantity per acre,
never took particular notice, for the prin-
cipa1 idea was to raise enough to do
us, and when that end was fairly IN prospect,
We were not very particular about the cuftiya-
ton nor the picking. It was not an object to
raise much more than We could work np, be-
cause there, WIS no market, except South,
which was carrying coa1s to Newcastle
We found the dry seasons the best; and we
also found sandy lind, or land with a good deal
ridges, and the river bottoms produced well.
It was not considered more difficult or un-
certain to raise crop Of cotton than crop
Of wheat OF corn. There were plenty Of gins
IN the neighborhood which ginned it for fixed
toll The full capacity Of the soil was never
tarly tested With cotton, for it was sort Of
side employment, and the object was not to
see how much could be raised to tic acre, but
to raise what We wanted with the least atteu-
ton.
N In 1921 I moved to Morgan county, now
year moved up I turned oYer three.fourths
Of an acre Of fresh prairie, on which planted
cotton seed in drills, as before stated, except
that it was not rldged This patch did
nothing to except plant it and PICK the cotton
produced, only a small crop; the product Of
this patcl I remember was ninety
pounds ginned cotton after the toll was taken
out. We confirmed to cultivate 1t in Scott
county, Until the establishment Of cotton fac
tories brought their fabrics into competition
with home made goods, and the price became
50 much reduced that the cultivation was
abandoned. With proper cultivation, cotton
can be raised Oh most Illinois land and can be
made profitable. There is one woman in Scott
county, North Carolinian, who cultivatcs it
every yearto this day, a small patch for her own
Land that will produce good wateT-mclons or
sweet potatoes, will produce good cotton
The greatest drawback in raising cotton in
this State is the shortness Of the seasons
in Illinois than in the Southern States, on IN
equal area.
MR.. GEORGE cASr's STATEMENT.
moved to Madison county, above Alton, in
1922. The first year planted about X Of
an acre Of cotton on old ground. I took par
ticular pains in cultiyating it, planted in drills
kept it clean with the hoe, topped and thinned
cotton. With close cultivation I am satisfied
that almost any Of our good lands will produce
at the same rate. raised for three years i'll
Madison county with success. We phntcd as
early as We safely cOul0 ana cQlL1ylted With
the plow and hoe. We ridged the land. In
1925 moved to Scott county, - miles west
Of Jacksonville. Here all the ncighbors raised
it. We cultivated the same as in Madison
county, aud raised good crops. There were
four gins in the ncighborhood that ginned for
toll: one kept by a Mr, March at Jacksonville,
one little west, by one johnson, another at
Bethel and another by {; Mr. Sclall, south Of
nc; all within few miles, aud all kept busy
in the cotton season. Ginncd cotton
vas worth about thirfy-three and one-thirl
did best on high, dry, sandy, 1oamy land In
1925 he. thinks brown shecting was worth from
:5 to 10 cents. It was not generally well cul-
tlyated, as farmers were more concerned to
fence and improve their farms for raising
grain and stock; nor were they particular in
gathering it, only the longest and earliest bolls
receiving. particular attention, if the crop was
| good, and as consequence tile air was full Of
flying cotton, and the fields white till winter
ing with the cards, and " factory" became so
cheap that I abandoned it, and so did my
neighbors, one by one. As to quality, our carly
| picking was as good as can be raised any where
| Oh some kinds Of land. The best was on land
thnt had considerable sand in it. There is no
doubt that it can be proitably raised in the
south half of this State nine years in ten.
| The last season would have been IN excellent
| one.''
These gentlemen are well advised, and pre-
pared to answer any inquiries on the subject.
In another communication I will cndcayor to
| give some account of cotton culture on the
Wabash, as I expect to obtain it from Hon.
Scott Riggs, o Nun Of over 50 years of age,
and who engaged largely in the culture in that
part Of the State at IN early day,
Wiuahncfnr Inv, 7ch9