The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-10-21
Handling Cotton.

Handling Cotton.
-, not hesitate to believe. says bon.
Northea in the Southern Cultirdtor,
w. here is no farm product, with one-half
l1-, ,.lps. as careIessly handled as the cot
'D' .-oD of Georgia. Beginning with the
,.,d the manner of cultivation, pick
and our methods of baling and general
Ding Of the staple for market, we have
l. tine of hurtful practices that reduce
.1-ics. in my candid opinion, at least 2
cents per pound
al inducements offered for a change.
=. inyariabie reply comes, this extra hand
- will not psy. If this estimate l sug-
- is correct. and csndidly see no reason
baliave 1t would not be more, the ad-
80, IN the farmer would be $40 on the
.,la and to the state, on an average crop.
& N0OOO. This care must begin with
10 coed IN determining the character of
,bs lint demanded by the markets. Very
--aat attention has bsen given at the south
e +ha Improvement of seed, but this has
hoan directed more particularly to the
sbrndance of the crop than the character
Of the product. 1t is very well to produce
an abundance. but it will be better to make
il of good quality and marketable. To be
mt upon the market in bad condition
brings loss to the farmer, unnecessary ex-
nense to the manufacturer in damage to
ma hines. and dissatisfaction to the general
public who use its PRODUCES.
When we consider the little expense
necessary for improvement, and the great
advantages possible upon the change, it is a
little remarkable that farmers have SO long
DELAYED change in their methods of hand
ling. A lack of improvement in the seed
has doubtless been owing to the very ex-
tended operations in planting. Cotton seed
degenerates so rapidly, and our labor is so
unreliable in the selection Of the best varie-
ties that many farmer abandon the enter
nrise after once or twice undertaking, as
troublesome and Improbable. Yieldi e to
difficulties and failing of persistence in
what we know to be the best has gone a
long way toward making our labor unrelia-
bic. 1t is time now that we had checked
the numerous drains made upon us because
Of this bad element, and begin to make our
labor responsible for what it engages to do.
Again, it is not matter of so very much
trouble for a farmer himself to select
enough cotton to plant two or three acres
of ground to grow his planting seed. The
succeeding year, under his personal super
vision, added to his personal effort. there
can be gathered enough for his entire farm
keeping, again for his personal effort, his
same patch of two acres from his very best
improvement. This suggestion obtains with
equal force, and should be applied with
equal energy to all the crops raised on the
farm-a careful selection of seed.
There is upon record picking of 1000
pounds of seed cotton in one day by one
hand from the farms in Texas. Every
per cent. trash, and the cotton was damaged
for market far more than the excessive work
paid.
Cotton that is intended for exhibition at
fairs is carefully packed by the most care
full hands on the farm. So should every
pound that is intended for the market. The
plan now is to gather it regardless of bolls
and leaves, and for every 20 pounds put into
the hamper, freedman is expected to get
on top with a quarter of a pound of
dirt and mud sticking to his shoes and wipe
bis feet on the beautiful white, as he packs
his picking to suit the limited capacity Of
bis basket
Wet witch the dews of the early day or
soaked with the heavier rains of the after
noon it is carted to the gin house and packed
away to mold and mildew, and there
brought to the gins to be mapped and
ruined in the sample and, necessarily, in the
sale.
A suitable charge for trashy picking and
an additional supply of baskets, packing by
hands instead of using muddy feet, proper
arrangements for summing such as may be
damp or wet, would all be but little ex-
pense, and yet of great value in the SALE
Our labor must be more carefully trained
and required to do more satisfactorily its
service.
The same process of muddy feet is to be
gone through with when the threading" for
The press begins. The baling is possibly
The most hurtful process of all. One-third
OF the cotton is left exposed to dirt, the ends
are carelessly fastened and they are soon
entirely exposed, holes are allowed, cut by
samplers, all around the bale. and by the
Time the product gets fairly on its way to
market, the entire outside is exposed to and
covered with mud
1t has been almost, if not quite, impossi-
ole TO remedy these troubles, because of
united action by farmers Under the pres
ent organization, very much can be accom-
pushed toward improvement. A source of
very great revenue will be found, if cotton
Is uniformly handled.