Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1889-12-12
SOUTHERN AGRICULTURAL.
Some Popular raIlacies Exposed.

ut is not surprising that some OF the
efforts Of tho jute combine should be In
the line OF intimidating farmers, and in
fact buyers of any kind, from supplying
themselves with cotton bagging at this
critical time, and while it must grieve,
still it should not alarm us 10 find South
ern men taking the field against us, and
even a farmer here or there. led on by
selfish interests or by his clogc connec-
ton with merchants, factors, capitalists,
exporters and middleilen-in word,
by those who have so long quietly abb
sorbed the profits of farming. / say
some farmers will perhaps either fight
weakly or fight on the other SIDE" OBJ
serves Mr.. A. Barnwell, of Macon, Ca,
in the National Economist. But the
mass of. farmers, when one of them
pulls back and puts up argument to
stop our efforts to help ourselves,
will recognize that 'the hand is Esau's,
but the voice is Jacobs" In spite of
the strenuous efforts on the part of
those who buy cotton to continue the
use of jute by abusing and slandering
cotton, the truth is that they have
hard case, because this jute is a
wretched covering for cotton in every
particular and has been put upon farm
ers only too long. Jute is a splendid
exponent of the farmers failure in
past years to look closely after his own
interests. Now let us look at the facts
Jute bagging stains cotton, as every
sampler knows. The outer layers are
always removed to get clear sample.
1t also, to some extent, fills it with
shives. 1t rapidly absorbs water and a
great deal of it. 1t ferments when wet
and damages and rots Immediately.
1t holds water and heat and
has to be cut away to dry very
wet cotton. 1t is infammablc to the
highest degree, will explode, and when
| CREASED generate spontaneous combus-
ton. 1t is poor to mark on, and from
| its color concealing both mud and dam
| age, tempts rough treatment in trans
portation. 1t is loosely woven and does
not cover cotton. Its apparent strength
tempts rough use of hooks, but the
greater part of it being filled upon a
smaller and inelastic wool, tears literal
| ly to ribbons. 1t is manufactured of un-
equal weights, and the weight of the
heaviest is adopted as tare, entailing a
consequent loss. This is enough to say
against any covering, but it is absolute
| ly true, and will not be denied by any
one who Ia honest and intelligent. Now
cotton is better than jute in these par
| ticulars: 1t is far less inflammable.
| 1t is more difficult to wet and easier
to dry. Showing at once all rough
usage from mud, ETC., it will induce
more care in handling, and the damage
being less hid will be easier to place
upon the guilty party. 1t is good to
mark on. 1t sheds no shives. 1T does
not stain. 1t is useful for any purpose,
as sheets, towels, bed spreads, etc, or
for spinning over after being used. 1t
is durable in the highest degree, and on
account of its elasticity and its lying
dose to the bale it is stronger and hard
er to tear with hooks than jute. 1t is OF
uniform weight and the taro fixed. Its
small tare allows better chance for
the seller without hurting the honest
buyer. Now we know all this, and all
the falsehoods which can be told on the
other side will be speedily disproved.
But it is objected, the experiment has
not been tried; the matter has not been
thoroughly tested. If that be So now
is the best time to test it. II
American spinners are greedy and old
John Bull is Slow now is the time for
the farmer to get right. They say the
season is upon us; there is no time for
this crop. Let us put off the season: we
arc not in any hurry. Let us give them
sixty or ninety or moro days to find Out
what we already know, and until they
educate themselves, let us keep our cot.
ton. We know that the visible supply
is admitted by customers to be short
some 100000 bales, and the invisible
supply shorter even than in 1887. La
than, Alexander & Co., the great cotton
statisticians, stated in their book OF
facts, which all cotton men have SEEN
that 1000, 600 bales were an absolute ne
cessity for the uses of the trade, and in
tfat year there was shortage. Now
for two consecutive seasons the crop has
been 200, 900 bales less than that, which
makes 100000 bales short. Last
years crop contained about 400,
900 bales low cotton, unavail
able for the ordinary fabrics, and
this refuse now constitutes the bulk o.
the stock. Here, then, is shortage o
100000 bales, not to speak of the in
crease of consumption in two years. The
fact that spots in New York are worth
nearly cent more than contracts show
how the shoe is pinching. Now, wa!
there ever better chance for the farm
err to teach the consumer that he can no
rob him, Tor robbery it is to ailoa II,
more for IL bale containing 1856 pounds o
net cotton than for one of 470. As mat
ter of course, all consumers will try The
game, but when they find farmers united
and determined simply to hold thei
cotton, and see these farmers acting un
der the advice of reliable and competen
committees, then they will awake to
better sense OF honesty. Our cottol
committee can not be bought, and viii
not be ntimidated.-Southern Cultiva
tor.
Butchering and Hog killing.
So far as possible every farmer should
fatten and butcher sufficient supply o
meat, at least for his own family, while
few sides of bacon to sell during tn,
next summer will not come amiss. 1t i
poor economy to sell fat hogs or cattl
in the fall and then buy bacon and bee
the next summer. 1t is paving rattle
heavy interest and should, as far a
possible, be avoided. While large, ia
hogs give the most lard, good medium
hogs make the best meat.
1t is not necessary to select the cold
est, most uncomfortable day in the win