The star of Pascagoula. [volume] (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1873-1878, 1877-10-12
The Rise of King Cotton.

his day
\ n There was, some months past, a
notification in your paper, copied IRON
The Charleston Courier, requesting a
communication upon the subject OF the
introduction of cotton into Georgia and
South Carolina.
It has been minated to me that pos
this notification has originated IN
some one DESTROYS for correct informa'
ton. in order that it might enter some
general work; and as | am at pre-
sent, perhaps the only person alive who
recoilects distinctly the introduction OF
sea island cotton, | have addressed this
letter to you.
II is known to many that cotton was
cultivated for domestic purposes from
Virginia to Georgia, long anterior to
the revolutionary war. Mr.. Jefferson
speaks of it in his notes on Virginia
Bertram speaks Of it in his travels as
growing in Georgia. And | have under,
stood hat twenty acres were cultivated
by q Col. Delegate, upon a small island
near Savannah, before the revolution
but this was the green seed or short
staple cotton. Two species of the same
family then existed in this countryside
real green seed and a low cotton resem-
bling it in blossom, both being of a pale
yellow, approaching to white-one with
the seed covered with fuzz, the other
with fuzz only upon the end OF the seed:
To explore the first introduction OF
the short staple cotton into this country
would now in all possibility, be impossi-
bic but we may very well suppose it
was by one of the southern preparatory
governments, and possibly from Turkey;
the trade of which country with England
was then of much higher consideration
than it has subsequently become.
Nor would it have escaped those pro
p~rietors many of whom were enlightened
men) that the climate of Asia Minor
where cotton grew abuntantly was nnala-
gous 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. Its 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 resembled in
its growth our green seed cotton, although
it cannot be its parent plant, for al
attempts to neutralize it in Georgif
(which were many and repeatedly have
failed. 1t gave blossom, but was cut of
by the frost in the fruit, nor would il
rattoon or grow from the root the mex
e in which, too, it resembles the
green seed cotton of our country, Ihi
is all | am able to say, and all that il
perhaps necessary to be said of the shor
staple cotton. The sea island cotton wa
introduced directly from the Bahami
islands into Georgia.
The revolutionary war that closed IL
1888 had been a war not less of opinion
and of feeling than of interest, and hat
torn asunder many of the relations of lif
whether of blood or friendship. England
offered to the unhappy settlers OF thi
country who had followed hec standard
a home in but two of her provinces-t
the provincials of the north she Offered
Nova Scotia, to the p~rovincials of tn
south she offered the Bahama islands
Many of the former inhabitants of tn
Carolinas and Georgia passed owe iron
! Florida to the Bahamas with their slaves
but what could they cultivate?
The rocky and arid lands Of thos
islands could not grow sugar cane. Co
fee would grow, but produced no fruit
There was but one plant that woul
grow, and that bore abundantly it wa
cotton. The seed, as | have been il
formed by respectable gentlemen fror
the Bahamas, was in the first instanc
procured from a small island in the Yves
Indies, celebrated for its cotton, Gale
Auguilla. 1t was, therefore, long afte
its introduction into this country, calle
Auguilla seed.
Cotton, as | have already stated, ha
taken a new value by the intrOductio
of the spinning jenny into England. Tn
quality OF the Bahama cotton was the
considered among the best grown. Me-
life and hope were impaired to a colon
and a people with whom even hope itse
had been almost extinct. The first sue
cess, as is natural TO the human mine
under whatever influence it may act, IT
called the memory of the friends the
had left behind them. The winter Of 8
brought several parcels of cotton see
from the Bahamas to Georgia Anon
them (in distinct resemblance upon m
mind) was a parcel to the late Gov. Tai
nall, of Georgia, from q near relation {
his then surveyor-general of the Bahf
mas, and another parcel at the same tim
was transmitted by Col. Roger Kelsal, G
Exuma, (who was among the first, il no
the very first, successful growers of col
tony to my father, Mr., James Spalding
then residing on st. SimOn's islanc
Georgia, who had been connected j
business with Col. Kelsal before tn
revolution. | have heard that GOV
Ta.nalI, then a young man, gave hi
seed to Mr.. Nicholas Turnbull, latel
deceased, wh.o cultivated it from tina
period successfully.
| know my father planted his cotto.
seed in 1887, upon the banks of a sma
rice field on St. Simon's island. TIL
land was rich and warm, The cotto
grew large and blossomed, but did no
ripen its fruit. 1t, however, ~rattooned
or grew from its roots, the tollowin
wear. The difficulty was now over. TIL
cotton adapted itself to the climate, an
every successive year from 1877 saw tn
long staple cotton extending itself alon
the shores of Georgia and into Soutl
Carolina, where an enlightened popula
ton, engaged in the cultivation of indigo
readily adopted it.
All the varieties of the long staple, o
at least the germ of those varieties, cam
from that seed.
Differences otsoil develop them and dii
ferences of local situations are developing
them every day.
The same cotton seed planted on on
field will give a black and naked seed
ILL 4Ln lama sead nlanted ON annthe