The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1875-04-10
Cotton Manufacturing in tho
South.
From the Scientific amcr;cer

1t is Il we'll known fact that co,t,
factories at the South have hs."
making money While many of tLosa
at the North have been compelled ~
suspend operations in whole ~ w.
part. Some of the reasons for Thu
state of things are as follows: ''
l. Labor is cheaper at the south
than at tho North. "
2. In consequence of q milder ~;
mate, the necessary expense of |;vin.
is less there than in New England. =.
is also that of heating factory build
ings, etc.
3. Coal is abundant in the South
and cheap water privileges can h,
obtained in every direction.
4. The purchase of the raw mat.
rial direct from the producer Saws
the profits of numerous midd|,men
the cost Of several buildings, and lour
transportation.
To these advantages l am sat;ss.,
that still another of great importan.~s
can be added. The Southern facto.s'
should buy the cotton in tho ses5
gin, and then spin it, without nack;ns
into bales; and it is to urge soma =
your inventive readers to arr.n.a
machinery for this purpose that
write this communication. Some ~
the advantages of such a svst.,
would he al follows,
1. Tho yarn would be stro,,.,
Baled cotton he prepared for c.rd;n.
without beating, and thus weakening
the fiber to greater or less extent
2. There would be less waste. P,..
quently much cotton is discolorsS
and otherwise injured by foreign aI.
stances that have been packed VIA
it. I understand that at tho NonA
and in Europe 1t takes from lOs n
lis lbs. Of cotton to make 100 lbs n
yarn and although the waste ia nat
80 great at the South, it is neverthe.
less considerable.
~ A"o COtIOtI n&'cU WOull O0 pfe0pA
cd at the same establishment. and
the oil and Oilcake sold for many mil.
lions each year.
4. The interest on gins and gin
houses, which are now idle the great.
er part Of the year, would be sayed
to planters.
5. The raising Of cottons on small
farms would be encouraged. The
plantation system is not adapted to
free labor, and ia steadily breaking
up; but until cotton can be readily
sold in the seed, few small fans
will be opened in the cotton section.
tor the reason that a man cannot 4.
ford to buy and operate a gin il h
only plants a few acres Of cotton.
Better, cettous and more per acre viii
be obtained on small farms,thau ., /
large ones. The reason Of thu i ]
that hand can plant and cultiv,h !
two or three times as much cotton n I
lie can pick. During the picking a., ;
son, the entire field should be IN {
over at least once q day. Even N, !
der the slave system, planters Vi. s
put in an acre Of corn for each ,er :
of cotton, and sent the smallest pick. E
anniry into the field to pick eottss, :
were often unable to pick fat eueufk &
and now that they have 80 little con- {.
troll over their workmen, the result +.
is sometimes disastrous. But To &
small farmer if he is nnabled h st s.
extra hands when he needs then, b
can generally rely on wife and eli. 4.
dren to help. &
! am confident that, un,ler the N b
tenn proposed, the Sonth can man. s
factnre cotton cheaper than New b. ]
gland. or Old England either; Il B
that if the proper effort is made, i e
need not be long before her Income d
from cotton will be double what i i IS
now. 81