The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-05-19
COTION In RUSSIA.
TIE COST OF PLANTING AND
PICKING PER ACRE.
$4,000 Acres Under Cultivation, the
Annual Yield OF Which Is 9,4O0,'
900 Pounds Of Inferior Grade.

BrddstroefS: Russia i'm ports annually
about 30O,OC0,000 pounds of cotton.
Turkestln and other Russian posses
sions in Central Asia furnish LEES than
oBe.tepth Of that amount. For seven
years, from 1877 10 1884, BY 0Fenburg
railway, there was rent TO Russia from
Central Asia $4,000 900 pounds OF
cotton, OF which only about 100000
pounds came from Russian posses
sions. While being independent,
Turkestan raised cotton three times
as much as it does now. Previous to
the annexation 10 Russia the Fergan
region exported to the Cars country
100000 pounds annually, and now
it sends there only about 100000
pounds.
Cotton OF Turkestan is of inferior
quality, its fiber being rather short
and coarse, and it 10 packed very
arelessly. grass, seeds aud sand being
found in il in a considerable quantity.
Ia 1872 the cotton mill owners Of Mos
COW reported that on having cleaned
anew their iakings OF the Turkesian
cotton, they realizsd loss in weight
from % TO so per cent. In view Of
such loss and cf lis inferior quality,
it must be admitted that the Turkestan
cotton Is selling rather high, it's price
being s cents per pound against lS
cents for middling New Orleans, and
10 cents for middlng upland. The
fiber of the Turkesian cotton being
coarse and by half an inch shorter
than that Of the American, the TuT.
kestan is fit only for cosrss stuffs.
Experiments in planting American
cotton.seeds in TuIkestan were first
made about twenty years ego. La
1866 Mr., Rlevsky sowed seeds of Sea
Island cotton and received fiber unfit
for spinning mot being elastic). Then
the seeds Of upland have been tried
and this time with good success
Mulla-Taichibasf of Tashkent haI
been planting those sesds for ten sue
cessive years, and his cotton is selling
at 4 cents per pound more than the
native. In 1884 Taichibaed had th'
ninth generation of American cotton
which eeems to have we'll acclimatzeC
in Turkestan, yielding very good fiber
However, the natives Of Turkestar
are oppofed 10 the introduction o
American seeds for various reasons
prejudice being the first Of them
The American cotton when ripe de
mauds an immediate gathering, other
wise the fiber would be scattered b.
the wind, while fruit boxes o
the native cotton keep nearly tigh
closed all the time, and thu
the farmers choose their own tim
for Iea, ing. The natives have n
farm implements and tools requieit
for planting the American cotton
Transport ition OF cotton from Turkef
tau 10 Moscow takes about fou
m ontbs, and costs from cents to
cents per pound. As yet camels ar
the only means OF transportation i
Turksstsn.
Cotton is raised in the followin
Russian possessions in Central Asia
Bokhara, Khivs, Merv oasis and Turl
estan proper. Fiber Of the Bokhav
cotton is distinguished from the oths
sorts by being pure white and sof
that OF Khiva eotton bsing longer, az
that OF Turkestan being downy, shor
and not very elastic. The latter sol
is fit only for yarn of lower numbe
up to No. 20.
In Turkestan the cotton fields al
usually fertilized with sable manuI
or simply with earth taken from roa;
and from ruins. Fields are plowe
over from four TO six times. Artifici
irrigation is done from two to fol
times each season. Seeding is done
April, and picking begins in Angus
They COW there from forty-6ve to 81
, ty.five pounds OF seed per acre. II
yield OF cotton in Turkestan is abo
, one.thiid of that in this county, as
= ahnun in tho fnll0u inO tahla.