The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1888-11-13

from $4,000 to $lO, 900 worth of
samples annually. Then the bales 60
to the compress ring, which is usually
combination of factors and here the
cotton crop pays annually about
$5,0O0,000 more. Then the cotton
passes on through other rings, maybe,
who fatten on it, and finally it reaches
the hands of the distributing mer-
chant in New York or Boston or
Liverpool, by which time the cotton
is badly soiled by dirt, mud and rain
by reason of their ungainly size and
careless handling, and they are now
not unfrequently treated to bath by.
rolling them through the slush and
mud that very often cover the wharves
of these large cities. From the wharf
the bales are carted to some dirty back
storage street, where they are again.
dumped into the street slush, and
rolled through it into the store-house.
Now it is ready for the inspector, who
takes each bale in hand, cuts the COW
erings so that he can and does pick
the soiled cotton from the entire out.
side of the bale, until it is as white
and clean as lint from the gin. These
pickings are the inspectors spoils.
Each bale is now re-sampled, which
means another steal; then re-weighed,
the weight of ties and bagging
deducted and the net weight of the
cotton marked on it. The consumer
buys at this weight. Now all these
middlemen, knowing the shrinkages
and stealings in which they share, pay
enough less for cotton to cover and
leave them profit and get rich. The
Hon. Edward Atkinson, of Boston,
who has carefully studied the subject,
as is well known by almost every
reader, confidently declared that there
is loss of ten per cent in. waste of
cotton between the producer and con-
sumer in the manner of handling the
cotton crop.
Take last years cotton crop, 7,OOO,-
900 bales, loss of ten per cent.
would approximate $37,OOO,OO0.
What sum. Why, the bagging trust
sinks into utter insignifcance in com
parison.
Brethren of the Alliance and farm
ers generally, why can't we rid our
selves of this oppression. ? Why can't
we cooperate Why can't we COM
bine? Why can't we mature some
plan by which we can throw off this
yoke and rid ourselves of these para
sites that are gnawing at our vitals.
Again, much more hay is baled at
the North than cotton at the South,
yet the hay is neither soiled or ex-
posed to the weather, although its
value is so much less that there is not
the same inducement to care for it as
with cotton. Many middlemen in cot
ton make big fortunes in short time
simply by handling few thousand |
bales. Middlemen in hay North, |
handle as many carloads of hay as
bales of cotton to make dimes in hay |
to dollars in cotton. This is why there
are fifty middlemen in cotton to one
in hay, Notwithstanding the hay crop |
is greater in bulk. The loss is not |
only the profits of these rings, but the
cost of stock in ties, loss
in labor in COMPRISING and loss in
soiled cotton, all of which together
with all profits and stealings might be
saved to the producers if they would
put up their cotton into small compact
bales of suitable size to be handled
and stored without soiling, and to load
. car to its capacity, and shipped
direct to the manufacturer There are
q hundred cotton mills in the North
ern States which consume from 1000
20 $4,000 bales annually and either
IF which are as safe as any bank, and
f the planters were to send their cot
Jon to them direct trusting to their
Judgment as to grade, I'm my opinion)
hey would be astonished at the amount
he cotton would net over the amount
received as now marketed
Let us hear from others more COM
oetent and better prepared to discuss
hese matters through The PRoGREss-
We FARMER Every cotton planter is
Interested and should not stand back,
out came to the front and help bear
;he burdens and heat Of the day, with
lis council and save these vast profits
n our own cleft hand pockets.
B. F. MCGREGoR.