The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1883-04-12

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pressed and sampled, all which de-
,racts from the net result in the
hands of the farmer. Another bale,
to the small hay bales,
has been introduced, and it has been
by the cotton planters as
ISOLATION; still it makes little or no
progress in displacing the other. One
difficulty is the expense of the press;
it is now said cheaper press has
been secured which will do this work,
and it will, we suppose, be seen in the
fall.
Other matters deserving attention
and capable of vast Improvement, re-
late to the gin-houses. In most sec
lions of the south these are of the /
crudest character, the power expens-
i've, and the work unsatisfactory. In |
the gin-houses the value of the whole |
cotton crop deteriorates, because it is |
handled recklessly, is mixed with |
trash and dirt, is injured by the |
weather, and is treated with less con-
sideration than any crop in the land.
The Louisville exposition will be in
complete unless we have some model
gin-houses.
Enough has been said to indicate
something of the possible usefulness
to the cotton planter of this eXpOsi-
ton, but the subject is far from ex-
hausted. Much may be done to i'm
prove the fiber of the cotton, much
to add to its productiveneSs. But the
south and the west are interested in
other topics as well as in those which
relate to cotton, and they are of
scarcely secondary Importance. Sugar
and sorghum have an interest for the
agricultural community, and conse-
quently to all the people which they
have never before had.
The display of sugar-making ma
chinery will be one of the features of
the Southern exposition at Louisville.
and no exposition of southern re-
sources would be complete which neg
lected the sugar problem. With SUI
gar-making very few of us are famil
lar. We know the territory in Amer
lea where sugar cane can be success
fully raised is very restricted. Re-
cent experiments, and we may now
add practical tests, indicate that the
missing ingredient has been found at
last, and that sugar of the best grade
can be made of sorghum. When
the truth of this statement has
been demonstrated to the Satisfac-
ton of the great body of American
| farmers, when at Louisville it is sub
| jected to the most scathing tests of
skeptical scientists and we all see the
sugar crystals, we will begin to real
iZe the vast Importance of the dis
covery, and instead of devOting few
thousand acres to sugar-raising in
Louisiana, the sugar belt becomes
identical with the corn belt, and in
stead of sending one hundred mil
lions out of the country every year to
pay for sugar we keep it at home.
The Importance of the culture of
jute is just beginning to be appreciat-
ed. India raises and exports three
million bales, and it enters largely
into the manufacture of various arti-
cles. The difficulty is that its manipu-
ton is exceedingly costly and labori-
Gus, and it would be difficult, with the
present machinery, for America to
compete with India in its production.
But there have recently been invent
ed number of machines for hand
ling jute, and the indications now are
that the new inventions will prove
entirely successful. The soil and eli
mate in many of the southern states
are especially adapted for raising jute
and the production per acre all that
could be asked. With the introduce
ton of new machinery, jute culture
promises to become leading indus
try in the south. The managers of
the Louisville exposition hope to
have this product of southern soil so
fully illustrated at Louisville in the
fall as to greatly advance the inter
eStS of all who are engaged in it.
Grape culture will also be treated
in comprehensive way. In many
sections of the south wine-making
can become exceeding profitable. The
Scuppernong grape wine is steadily
growing in popularity and improving
in quality. We should have at Louis
vile an exhibition of native wines
which has never yet been equaled.
Hemp, raimie, tobacco, grain, silk
and rice will have ample room and
space devoted to them, and it is quite
certain that, as far as the farmers of
the west and south are concerned,
this will be the most interesting eXhi-
bition ever held.
MINERALS IN THE SOUTH.
Great Britain owes her commercial
Importance to cheap coal and cheap
iron. If the south cannot make iron
at prices as low as it can be produced
IN England, it can make iron. cheaper
than 1T can be made anywhere else
in America. This is becoming palmer
and palmer each day; and every time
there is dizziness in the iron trade and
prices decline, attention is directed to
the coal and iron fields of the south
ern states. The display of iron ore
and ores of every kind, will therefore
attract wide attention, not only
among the capitalists of America, but
of Europe. Especial care will be
taken to make these exhibits the most
comprehensive ever shown, and in
this work the directors of the exposi-
tion are assured of the active co-ope-
ration of all the railroad managers.
The variety and value of the tim
Der lands in the south are but begin
ming to be appreciated, and yet the
southern forests are almost mex
haustible. 1t is the purpose of the
managers to leave nothing undone to
have the display of woods. the infor-
nation concerning them and the
prices of the timber tracts so COM
plete as to result in the opening of
many of the forests in the immediate
future.
The development of the wood and
iron industries of the southern states
is especially important to Louisville.
This is to be both a great COM
mercial and manufacturing center, be
cause We can have cheap lumber
cheap iron and cheap coal. CONNER
cial ascendency can only be obtained
by expanding our manufacturing ia
cilities. In the past ten years the
growth of the manufacturing inter
ests of Louisville has been extraor-
binary, and this growth continues
with increasing rapidity. 1t is evil
dent that, with cheap fuel, cheap
lumber and cheap coal, and unsur-
passed transportation facilities, the
future of Louisville is assured:
hence we consider, with much con-
Germ, any movement tending to the
development of iron and coal fields
south of us, and to the building of
any new roads which make the wealth
of the forests available.
The Art Amateur