Wichita eagle., 1888-03-15
WILL IT PAY TO RAISE COTTON9


To the Editor of the Eagle.
The leading newspapers have lately
called attention to the culture of cotton.
VIII it pay? That is the first and most
important question in every enterprise.
To raise cotton and neglect all other
crops will prove failure. To raise cot
ton and hire inexperienced hands at
twenty dollars per month to pick 1t VIII
not pay. Neither is there any profit IN
it to plant twenty acres, when there IS
horse flesh and help for only eight acres
at our command. More than half Of our
cotton crop is raised by hired labor. We
can not expect to raise it successfully and
profitably until we have gained the
necessary experience. To obtain that we
must start the industry once. The FOL
lowing facts Justify at least a trial:
1t is no longer advisable to depend on
one crop only. Our soil and climate Is
favorable 10 cotton. 1t can stand more
dry weather than any other crop. The
chinch bug can not damage the cotton
plant. 1t gives us three months time TO
pick the crop. Cotton is equal to cash
any time in the year.
The seed makes rich, valuable feed for
cattle and hogs. Where cotton is raised
for diversified farming only, where II
does not form the principal product, 1t is
more profitable to feed the seed TO live
stock than to sell it to oil mills.
By proper cultivation the yield in fair
season can be brought up to one bale
600 pounds per acre. About fifteen or
i~;- dc nf GOOD
will make a bale of 500 pounds, leaving
900 to LOO pounds of seed. One bush
ell of seed weighs thirty-two pounds. 10
large families having no other chance to
earn money, but at home on the farm, 1t
will prove profitable crop and may be-
come mortgage litter. Cotton Is now
raised IN some southern states where
land is worth $50 per acre. West of here
less than hundred miles good farm land
can be bought for So to SO per acre.
Corn has been rather failure for two
years and the profits realized from cat
tie and wheat were very small. The
farmers should grasp the opportunity
and give the cotton fair trial. Parties
who have never raised cotton should not
plant over eight acres for beginning,
but tend well what is planted, SO we can
get at the result.
Cotton can be cultivated as easy as
corn. The picking is the biggest part of
the labor. In Montgomery county one
bale per acre has been raised. Chautau-
qua county raised several hundred bales
last season and averaged three-fourth OF
a bale Further west in Barber county,
where the drought has been the severest,
some parties raised One-half bale per
acre. Together l shipped twelve bales
from Medicine Lodge to st. Louis, which
brought 10 cents per pound.
HENRY burst.
Mr. burst is an experienced cotton
grower: he has been in the city lately
calling attention to the fact that cotton
can be successfully grown in Southern
Kansas, as above set forth. He has a
cotton gin and press, and if the farmers
of Sedgwicl1 county will grow five hum
dred acres of cotton this year. he will es-
tablish the gin and press in this city, so
that the cotton can be put in marketable
shape: it would not pay to erect a gin
and press for less than five hundred
acres. To assist the farmers in this en-
terprise, the board of trade has offered
to furnish seed free of charge sufficient
to plant the five hundred acres. 1t takes
one-half bushel seed per acre, and must
be planted by the middle of April. APP
plications for seed should be made with
in ten days to the secretary of the board
Of trade.
In this connection it may be well to
nation may be desired by farmers in the
matter of planting, cultivating and
handling the crop, and which will be
cheerfully given on application to Mr..
burst by individuals. he will give such
information through the EAGLE in a Sc
ries of articles that will appear from
time to time. so that those who have not
had experience in the cultivation of cot
ton may proceed intelligently.