The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1888-03-29
GEORGIA COTTON SEED SENT TO RVS
STA.
The Cotton Growing Sections of the Domain
of the CZar-Five Thousand Miles to
Market.
T Atlanta Constitution.

has SOlu 10 the cZtI Ol dll tllc NlISSlttS
two hundred bushels of cotton seed.
This seed is to be used in the promo
ton of the cotton-growing industry OF
Russia's Asiatic provinces, and in
another year Georgia seed will be bear
ing fruit in the regions about the Cas-
plan sea.
The order came from NJ. Routkow-
sky, chronological agent of the Russian
government at Washington city, and
the seed was shipped to the Russian
vice-consul at New York, to he by him
forwarded to Europe.
The fact that cotton is grown in Rus
sia tends to give some idea of the vast
extent of the Russian empire. The
name Russia brings to the mind of the
average American reader visions ofSt.
Petersburg and Moscow as they are
usually pictured, with snow and ice
everywhere. TO think of cotton grow
ing in that same Russia will seem to
that reader an absurdity.
But it does grow in Russia, and with
proper facilities Russia would he one of
the foremost cotton-growing countries
in the world.
General p. NJ. b. Young, who was
consul-general at st. Petersburg, is
probably the beSt-posted man in this
country upon the subject Of the culti-
vation Of cotton in foreign lands.
"Oh, yes, there is considerable cotton
grown in Russia" he said to repre-
sentative OF The Constitution. at is
grown in the region to the far south
east of st. Petersburg, in the provinces
bordering upon the Aral and Caspian
seas. | think the greatest amount is
grown in Turkcstan and Bolhara.
There is a section Of country fully us
large us Georgia, South Carolina, flori-
da and Alabama combined and with Il
climate very much like that of Georgia,
probably little warmer than Georgia
in summer. Here cotton has been
raised for many years, but on small
scale. The trouble is that there never
have been any facilities for transporting
their cotton. You see they are six thou
sand miles from st. Petersburg and
about five thousand from Moscow,
which is the market. Now that the
Trans-Caspian railway has been fin
ished through to Merveit is likely that
IN attempt will be made to cultivate
cotton Oh much larger scale"
"What is the quality of the cotton
raised there now :'
THE greater part is black seed or
long staple cotton, and of Il rather i'll
ferior quality. / have, however, seen
upland cotton, Of excellent quality.
from Bokhura. The inducements for
going into the business have not, until
now, been very strong. | refer par
ticularly to transportation facilities.
Think Of carrying your cotton 700 or
500 miles, on the back of mules, before
reaching apublic conveyance, and then
thousands of miles before reaching a
market! Not much poetry about that
sort Of work, is there?"
II learned Il good deal about their
method Of raising cotton from the
brother of the sultan of Bolhara, Il
great chief who came to st. Petersburg
on some mission to the ear. He came
to see me, and through the medium of
two Interpreters, we managed to carry
on Il lively conversation. / Judged from
what he told me that the cultivation of
cotton is carried on in very small
way; that each farmer had his little
patch Of Il few acres. He sells or trades
the product OF his field to the trader of
the ncighborhood, and he forwards
it on mules towards Moscow. 1t is
backed i'm round bales of probably two
hundred and fifty pounds each. This
ambassador, with whom talked, told
me that he lived six hundred miles
from II railway, and when. in RESPONSE
to an invitation to visit him, asked
how long the journey would take, ne
said that if everything WAS favorable
could reach his home thirty days after
left St. Petersburg" "lIavr they
my rims ar how do tbrv clr,u tbtir
cutiou"r
..I,,,,, ,,I.,,.,,,- ,,,. ,,,rr,,f ,Lo,, .,t
,,,.,., Ala, .,,J !. ,,;,.l,oJ ,,t la. h,,I
,rl.v h,vc also su,,IJ h,nd uins This
HoItIroru chief was rrcutly SURPRISED
whru fold him Of fine n,ouni,udr OF
fine cotton industry of the United
States. He said that they were anxious
Io r,l American seed and, if pos>ihlr
cy,.ri,.nccd Americans TO s,ln.rintr.I