The Russellville Democrat., 1882-08-03
Dirty Cotton.

, leans Times Democrat, writing from Mayersville, Miss, gives the follow
 ing sound advice to planters and of.
 fers some suggestions calculated to : remedy the evil. He writes;
 It is particularly imperative upon
 American growers to place their cotton on the market in better condition this year than ever before. Why? Tho mutterlngs and com plaints of European and home spin ners are growing deep and loud; its warnings must be needed, or a very material reduction in the price Of the cotton crop will follow, and this means ruin to many of us.
 Cotton buyers will be more careful this than last year. They will come into our markets with explicit in structions, and will not dare buy promiscuously as heretofore. There fore planters will be compelled to place clean cotton upon the market, or they will find but poor sale for their crops.
 Why so much dirt and sand is found in American cotton would be hard to tell. The causes are doubt less various. I will enumerate few, and these few planters will rec ognize at once as probably true. I write onl y of that part of our com. mon country that comes under my observation. It may be different in other localities.
 l. Cotton picked just after a show CT of rain is more or less spattcred with dirt and sand. Gathered damp and dumped into cotton houses in this state, the dirt and sad settles in the cotton, and unless thoroughly dried and shaken out before ginning, 1t will be very apt to be blown through the fue into the lint-room, or be deposited at the mouth of the Hue and there gathered up by care less press hands and deposited with the cotton on the press. Now this, however, does not give sand enough to cause complaint; still, as it can be avoided, it should be. I should think the fine sand in cotton would greatly injure the machinery of our cotton mills. ,. Negro tenants, as rule since the war, being unable to procure proper reeeptacles for their cotton after filling their picking sacks, clean of a place on the ground and empty their sacks. Here the cotton lies subject to all sorts of weather for several days at time. Even should the weather be far, the bot tom cotton in this pile will be full of dirt and sand, and as they gather up every lock, of course dirt and sand goes into the cotton house, and from there to the gin, as before stated.
 3. High winds frequently blow the cotton from the bolls to the ground in such quantities that the loss would be very heavy fit should be left there. This cotton is gath cred up and placed in the picking sack with clean cotton, and agaln dust and sand goes to the gin.
 1. Gin houses are, without excep- tioD, the dirtiest houses on the plan | tation, totally unacquainted with broom or brush, are built of rough | lumber, and the lint cotton catches on the walls, joists and rafters, and | hangs in festoons literally mud col ored by the accumulation of dust and dirt of years. Negroes frequent | ly sweep these walls at the wind.up and throw this dirt into their bales l to fill out remnants.
 If commerce would accept small ! CT bale than the present regulation 1 size, she would receive less mixed ! cotton and better divided grades. It is impossible with the present bale | to prevent mixing, without making too many undersized bales that are | subject to a considerable reduction. !
 There are rascals in all ceilings" | and l dare say farming is no excep. | tion to the rule, and this fact will | account for the logs of wood, pieces | of iron, etc., found occasionally in ! cotton bales. There is no excuse for this, and it is the duty of spin ners to trace the cotton back to the | grower and turn him over to the | honest element for their judgment. I 1 think they would land him in the ! Penitentia9y, where he should go [ and stay.
 don't believe that one man in 10000 ever falsely packs his cotton, Bad seasons for picking, aggrayating the causes above named, will ac- ! count for much of the dirt and sand | complained of
 l think the complaint of spinners will be needed, and cleaner cotton find it's way to market this year than | ever before. We need the old fash. toned scafiolds for drying cotton, that were so necessary before the | war. Especially should they be pro- yided in wet seasons.
 These thoughts have been sug gested by the complaint of spinners, 1 echoed by the press. I think those familiar with the handling of cotton will recognize my dottings as near the mark