Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1877-10-13
The Rise Of King Cotton.

Inc hieC 81 hAhe NNtNN"
The following csmmuuicaion sppe2red
in the savannah Georgian, Of May, l>s9
and will be pad with much iuteTes; al
this day
There was, some months past, s
notification in your paper, copied from
the Charleston Courier, requesting :
communication upon the subject OF the
introduction OF cotton into Georgia and
south Carolina
1t has been minated TO me tina. pos
sihlv this notification has originated III
some one desirouS for correc, iu!oima
ton. in order that it might enter some
more general work amt a> ! am q. pre-.
sent, perhaps the only person alive who
recolletts distinctly the Introduction OF
sea island cotton, | have addressed this
letter to YOU.
1t is known 10 many tha, cotton was
cultivated for domestic purposes from
Virginia to Georgia, long anterior 10
the revolutionary war. Mr.. Jefferson
speaks of il in his notes on Virginia
Bsrtram speaks OF it in his travels s.
growing in Georgis. And have under
stood that twenty acres were cultivated
bY q Col. peleEalle, upon g small island
rca S3vannsh, before the revolution
but this Was the green seed or short
staple cotton. Two species of the same
family then existed in this Countrywide
real green seed and a low cotton resem-
bling ii in blossom, both being Of q pale
yellow. approaching to whiIe-one with
the seed covered with iuzz. the other
With fuzz only upon the end Of the seed
To explore the frs, introduction OF.
the short staple cotton into this country
would now in all possibility, be lmYo.si-
. lie but We may very well suppose II
was BY one Of the southern preparatory
governments, and possibly from Turkey
the trade OF which country with England
wa. then o.. much higher consideration
han it mas subsequently, become.
Nor would it have escaped those pro
prietors many of whom were enlightened
mem that the climate of Asia Minor
where cotton grew abuntantly wss ana,a.
gou. TO the climate Of the provinces south
Of Virginia.
Just about the commencement Of the
revolutionary war, Sir Richard Arkwright
had invented the spinning Jenny, and
cotton spinning became a matter Of deep
interest IN England. Cotton rose much
in price. It, various qualities attracted
notice, and the world was searched for
finer kinds. The island of Bourbon was
alone found to produce them, and yet
the Bourbon cotton greatly resemb.ed in
its growth our green seed cotton, although
it cannot be its parent plant, for all
attempts to neutralize il in Georgia
(which were many and repeated have
failed. 1t gave blossom, but was cUt Oft
BY the frost in the fruit, nor would il
rattoon or grow from the root the next
wear, in which, too, it resembles the
green seed cotton of our country. This
is all | am able to say, and all that is
perhaps necessary to be said of the short
staple cotton. The sea island cotton wa,
introduced directly from the Bahama
islands into Georgia.
The revolutionary war that closed in
l7S3 had been q war not less Of opiniyr
and of feeling than of interest, an had
torn asundpr many Of the relations OF If.
whether Of blood or friendship. Englana
offered to the unhappy settlers OF thi,
country who had followed her standard
a home in but two OF her proyinces--tC
the provincisls Of the north she offered
Nova Scotia, to the proyincials Of the
south she offered the Bahama islands
Many Of the former inhabitants Of the
Carolinas and Georgia passed over iron
Florida to the Bahamas with their slaves
but what could they cultivate?
The rocky and arid lands of thosr
islands could not grow sugar cane, Cot
fee would grow, but produced no fruit
There was but one plant that woulC
grow. and that bore a~bundantly ii wa
cotton. The seed, as | have been in
formed by respectable gentlemen from
tue Bahamas. was in the first instanc
procured from q small island in the Yves
Indies. celebrated for its cotton, Gale,
Auguilla. 1t was, therefore, long ate
it, introduction into this country, c8llet
AugUilla seed.
Cotton, as | have already stated, hat
taken a new value by the introductio,
, Of the spinning jenny int England. Tn
/, quality OF the Bahama cotton was the.
/ considered among the best grown. Ne,
| lie and hope were impaired to q colon
and a people with whom ever hope itse.
had been almost extinct. The first sue
/, c-ss, as is natural to the human minc
: under whatever influence it may act. It
|, call d the memory of the friends the
, had left behind them, The winter Of s
, brought several parcels OF cotton see
: from the Bahamas to Georgia, Anon
= them lin distinct resemblance upon N
, mind) was q parcel to the late Gov. Ia
nall, of Georgia, from a near relation
his then suryeyOr-general of the Bah.
mas, and another parcel at the same tim
' was transmitted by Col. Roger Kelsal, {
: Exuma, (who was among the first, il NJ
= the very first, successful growers of co
a tom to my father, Mr.. James Spaldin,
: then residing on st. SimOn's islanl
D Georgia, who had been connected
e business with Col. Kel.al before tt
e revolution. | have heard that Go
r Ta.nall, then a Young man, gave h
: seed to Mr.. Nicholas Turnbull, late
t deceased, wio cultivated it from thu
e period successfully.
| know my father planted his cote
seed in 1887, upon the banks Of a sma
p rice field on st. Simon's island. II
h land was rich and warm, The cote
n grew large and blossomed, bat did Il,
ripen its fruit. 1t, however, r~attoone
or grew from its roots, the followir
a year. The difficulty was now over. III
a cotton adapted itself to the climate, an
d every successive year from 1887 saw Il
II long staple cotton extending itself alol
h the shores Of Georgia and into Sou
: Carolina, where an enlightened popul
IS ton, engaged in the cultivation ofindig
n readily adopted it.
All the varieties of tho long staple,
a at least the germ Of those varieties, can
b from that seed,
e Differences otsoil develop them and d
f%erences of local situations are developer
!, them every day.
y The same cotton seed planted on OF
i field will give a black and naked see
I while the same seed planted on anotb,