Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1889-11-27
Our Southern Letter.
All About King Cotton.

object of domestic culture and manufac-
ture. The amount invested in the
United States and England, in this re-
spect, is astonishing, in the world it is
fabulous.
In 1870 the value of the cotton pro-
duced IN the U. S. was $32I ,i64, 499.3
the number of acres planted was 8, 49,
5S4, valued at 1874 ,45l $50 The amount
invested in mules, horses, gins and other
utensils amounted to $163, 1872 ,25S, and
$S1 GAG, 12o was paid as wages. The
product of manufactured cotton was
SIT ,4S9, 739, the capital invested in mills
and machinery was $40, 106,29l, while
the wages paid was $50 ,O44, 1872.
In England in 1860, the manufactured
products were valued at $1'S, iS4, 445; the
capital invested was $1,000, 900, and
the wages paid was $57 100000. In the
same year the English consumption of
cotton was 1912 900 bales, and the re-
maindcr of Europe consumed 4, Az, 900
bales, making the value of the cotton
consumed in Europe alone grand total
of $o60, 900 900. Add to this the capital
invested in manufacturing, and wages
paid for labor, it will be seen that the
cotton plant is the basis of one of the
worlds greatest industries.
There are three varieties Of cotton in
common cultivation. The most import
ant is the herbaceOuS, or upland short
staple, which in the United States is an
annual, the seed which is green, being
planted each year. The Sra-i>land is
considered by some as Il variety OF tue
,:-l,,,, i i,,- -,
long silky fibre and black seeds. II is
also an annual. ltl> planted along The
Atlantic >:'abOHrd, in S"Ith Carolina
and Georgia,
Tie shrlh volt,,H, ,'si;jy,y>J III the
West lEdir> r">@,n n..'~ til" currHnt bush
in size and appearance, and is usually a
biennial. HE tree CDttlN grows TO the
height of l. to 20 feet, and is found in
India, China and Egypt. 1t grows two
or three years, and needs only to be
pruned and cultivated to produce a
large yield of the finest cotton.
Herodotus, about $50 years B. c., first
notices cotton as trees. bearing as their
fruit, tleeccs more delicate and beautiful
than those of sheep" Cotton seed was
first planted in the United States IN 1921,
but for a long time was considered only
as a garden plant. The first shipment to
Liverpool was made III 1149 and con-
sisted of bales and was valued at $40
per bale. Another shipment was made
of bales in 1170. In 1901 the Sea-Island
cotton crop exceeded 100000 pounds,
while the upland short-slaple cotton
amounted to $4,000, 900 pounds, of which
2O,OOO,0O0 pounds were exported. The
cotton belt extended through South
Carolina, middle and southern Georgia,
middle and northern Alabama and Mis-
sissippi, and some portions of Texas.
It is grown still further north, but to no
great extent with profit
Cotton seed is usually planted in this
latitude from the 10th to the Goth of
April, in drills from three to four feet
apart; the distance between the plants
averaging about IS inches. 1t is cnlti-
waited much after the manner of corn
1t is branching plant, growing from
two to three feet high, and commencing
to bloom in June, at which time field
presents Il appearance of a vast flower
garden. The bloom resembles the hol-
lyhock in shape, but is rather smaller
and more delicate. 1t possesses: the Pc
culiarity of changing its color from a
pure white at noon to a clear pink in the
morning, fading to white again at noon.
The flower of the sea-iSland remains a
pale straw color without change. The
bolls. or pods, about the size Of hick-
ory-nut pod, commence to open in Oc-
tober, and at this time to the end of the
season, the plants are covered with
globes of the purest white, bursting
from the bolls, alternating with unripe
pods and flowers.
A man can pick about 900 pounds of
seed cotton per day, which is equal to
100 pounds of lint cotton, which is cot
ton separated from the seed.
The cotton gin invented by Whitney
in 1893 consists of large shaft or cyl
inder, on which are placed from 80 to 60
circular saws about one-half an inch
apart, with diameter for inches larger
than the cylinder. These revolve be-
tween steel bars so close that the seed
cannot pass through. The teeth of the
rapidly revolving saws seize the lint and
pull it from the seed, while brush re-
volving in an opposite direction clean
the teeth as fast as the fibre is drawn
through the bars.
The lint when free from seed is pressed
into bales averaging not far from 500
pounds each, and is covered with a
coarse cloth or bagging. and is bound
with iron hoops.
For export a number of bales are COM
pressed hy powerful machinery into a
CAOoC p0ChdSCs 81 us W UCCupH DIS 1lLtlG
space as possible.
Upland short-staple cotton yields
about one-half bale or $50 pounds per
acre, and is worth On an average about
8 or 10 cents per pound, but by use of
fertilizers the production can be nearly
doubled.
The seed is valued about Is cents per
bushel of 30 pounds in the market, bus
is worth considerable more to the farmer
as feed for stock. The numerous Gil
mills consume large portion of the
seed product. Recent experiments prove
that fibre excelling flax in finenrSs and
lustre can be obtained from the stock.
Cotton farmers in the South are desig
mated as plantation farmers; one. two,
or three horse and OK farmers Planta-
ton farmers are those who own from
one to four thousand acres, and furnish
all the supplies and hire the labor, or
rent the land in small portions, general
ly to negroes. The others are small
farmers who furnish their own supplies,
and rent their land only; either at slip
ulated rent or for certain share of the
crop, generally three -fourths.
There are many immigrants who have
come to this country with their house
hold property on a wagon drawn by one
OK, representing their entire Possessions,
and who in few years have become
owners of 80 or 100 acres of land with
two horses and out of debt; OWING their
prosperity to the cotton crop. Cotton
land in this section before being cleared,
can be bought for from 81 to So per acre.
The new land is the best, and profit
able crop of cotton can be raised the
second year, giving an average of haif
bale per acre.
The black" or cotton belt extends
from North Carolina through Sou til
Carolina. Georgia, Alabama and Miss is
sippi, and was originally the richest cot
ton soil In the world, but now OWN o to
insect enemies. careless cultivation and
a long series of exhaustive crops, the
land produces but little more thar the
higher, healthier plateau sections.
A cotton market town in October pre-
sents unique appearance Hume lreds
of vehicles of all kinds, loaded with
cotton, some in bales, some with high
side boards packed with cotton ready
for ha ri, nil inb +,