The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1881-02-12
Il COTTON EXPOSITION.
Tho Advantages That 1t Secures to tho
Earmcrs.

IN response to inquiries concerning
the contemplated cotton exposition in
Atlanta in October next, Mr.. Edward
Aiklnson, Of Massachusetts, the great
authority on cotton, said that New
England would subscribe literally to
the proposed fund Of one hundred
thousand dollars, provided the South
also takes all interest in it.
"Ihere is one thing YOU NAV say
with emphasis" said Mr.. Atkinson,
""nd that is that there is great need of
such an exposition. There is no great
staple OF the world so wastetnllv
handled and prepared for market as
cotton, unless it be sugar. am salts
ned that IT cotton were properly back
ed and balcd it would bring from one
10 three per cent. more than il now
brings, because the buyer would be
certain OF The quantity and quality of
what he was buying. II i, were proper
~ handled in the Gin house and prom
criy picked and carried to the gin all
OF 1t that is now ginncd below mid
ding would command from two to
ivc per cent. more, because it would
nc rld OF the noteS. leaf and dnSt that
level 1t to low grade. But more i'm
portant than this, | venture the asscr-
non that cotton-thc greater part of
the crop, anyhow--iS Cctcrioratcd i'm
value fully ten per cent. from the time
1t is picked in the field TO the time
when 1t is turned out from the COM
press for shipment North. \ very
Important and costly part of the work
IN the Northern factories is remedvino
the errors of picking, ginning and
packing that is, removing the dirt.
sand and grit that have unnecessarily
been allowed to get in with the fibre.
Beyond the cost of this work the fibre
itself suffers from the excessive hand
ling necessary to clean il of dirt that
should never have been allowed to oct
in it. The machinery in mills suffers.
too, because of the failure to clean the
cotton before it is compressed into
0aseS OF the almost impalpable sand or
dnSt that lntcsts the cotton grown on
many soils. Not only can the cotton
pc cleaned more efficiently before it is
packed than aitcrward. but with one
third the labor. not to consider that a
proper handling Of it would keep out
the greatest part of the dirt that is
found i'll 1t when it reaches the mill.
GREAT PROFITS FOR PLANTERS.
'n,H.ow, am frequently asked" Mr..
Atkinson went on TO say, "whcther or
not | think the cotton factories of New
England will gradually DRIFT to the
south. My reply is that the manu-
lacture OF cotton is unit. II com
mcnccS when the cotton is ready for
picking and ends when the cloth is
ready for the merchant. The most
important part of this work is thai
which must be done near the field in
which the staple is raiscd-viz., the
picking, the ginning and the baliur.
And 1t is my conviction that there is a
much richer profit to the Southern
people in improving their methods in
TINS part of the work than there is in
trying to do it all. The utmost profit
that can be expected in the manufac.
ture OF cloth below No. l6 is two 10
three cents pound and on medium
numbers three or four cents. TO got
this requires heavy investments. nro.
/ fpor,ionatc risk and the utmost skin OF
management. But by light cxpcndi-
lures i'll improved gins, a little more
care and intelligence in handling the
staple, and with no risk, the planter
could make more clear profit by add
ing to the value Of his cotton than
could be counted on in great factories
Tor converting the fibre into cloth. For