The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1882-01-20
A LESSON IN ECONOMY

| a Lesson IN ECONOMh
In the South, but particularly in the
Southwest, where we have so long been
used to slave labor and large landed tracts,
the tillage of the soil has been for years
past carried on in a most reckless manner.
Great results and returns have been sought
after, while the smaller, the apparently in
significant features of the farm and planta-
ton have been almost totally neglected.
We have long felt assured that such course
was chief cause of hard times and poverty
with our people, and it is possible for them
to profit immensely by the example and
success OF the agriculturists in more
easterly and northern sections. The
farmer in Ohio, or New York, or New
England, makes every dollar out of his
ground and labor that they will stand and
sees to it that no waste is allowed Every
thing is utilized in some way and the last
dime is squeezed out of the products of his
work. This may appear to many as mig
sardiy, and a conduct unworthy of immita-
ton, but when it squares indebtedness and
is the meana of putting bank account to
the planters credit, it is not to be llippantly
or recklessly ignored. We have got
to learn in the South to be more
careful of little things, to watch
more closely alter the dollars and
experiment with view to saw
ing waste, before our farmers as a
class will begiu to show and enjoy the COM
fort and thrift witnessed in other sections
However, il is some consolation to learn
that we are gradually growing wiser in this
particular, and of late many useful lessons
in economy have been taught us that ought
to receive even more general adoption and
attention. In the South of course our sta
pie is cotton, and is likely to continue as
such, bnt it is lamentable and indisput-
able fact that the study and investigation
in the raising and marketing of the plant
which the subject demands, is not bestowed
by anything like that proportion of plant
ers we could desire. The little leaks finally
I'LL the ship, and the unnoticed wastes are
equally disastrous in all kinds of business,
agricultural, mercantile, or otherwise. In
Georgia the people are outstripping all
competitors in the Southern States in en-
terprise and moncy-making capacity and
have lately discovered another source of
profit in the handling of cotton not before
generally supposed to exist. 1t is II lesson
in economy worthy of notice by all our
planters. We CLEAN from the News and
Advertiser, of Albany, Georgia, the follow
ing interesting information: "A reprcsen.
tative ofthc News and Advertiser was out
at Humboldt or llardaway Station on Sat
nrday last, and noticed several bales of
Notwithstanding bark on the platform of
Mr., +. II. Putneys store. We inquired
what it was, and learned that it was cotton
root bark. Mr.. Putncy had bought it flom
different persons in the ncishborhood, and
had packed itup into bales. exactly us the
cotton staple is packed, for shipment to
Boston, where it is used in the manunc-
turc of medicines The roots of
cotton plants are straight and gen.
orally very smooth, and can be readily
stripped of their bark. Mr. Putncy in
formed us that the bark was worth from
SIX to seven cents per pound. 1t really
seems now that there ought to be some
money in cotton culture. There is demand
for the entire plant and everything it pro-
duces. The factories want the STABLE for
thread and cloth, the oil mills want the
seed to make oil and cotton seed meal the
paper mills want the stalks and limbs to
manufacture into very fine grade of pa
per, and the patent medicine manufac tur
ers want the roots to convert into medicine"
The enormous saving thus to be secured
can be seen at once and many a little OK.
ponso OF the farm might be met by the in
come so derived. The losses from this, that
and the other, causes in our annual crops
are so large that 1t would be well to try
every experiment calculated to af.
feet the same and the roots and stalks
and limbs might us well receive careful
attention rs the seed of cotton. This is
only one of course, of many possible ways
ol turning apparently worthless articles to
account. No matter to what uses it may
be put, ifa bale of raw material will bring
from $50 to $40, 1t is certainly worthy of
attention. The sooner we make the vari-
Gus discoveries relative to the profitable
manipulation of the surplus, or heretofore
wasted materials arising from our crops,
the sooner will wealth and independence
overtakc us. Why cannot thousand
seemingly unimportant commodities be
turned to money, and in their turn give
existence to new enterprises, giving scope
for both capital and labor What we need
moro than anything else in the South, is
economy and patient investigation by which
the wasted dollars may be saved.
PURIFYING THE JURY SYSTEM