The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1889-09-12
HANDLING COTTON.

| do not hesitate to believe that
there is no farm product, with one
halt the value, as carelessly handled
as the cotton crop of Georgia. Be-
ginning with the seed and the man
ner Of cultivation, picking and our
methods of baling and general hand
ling of the staple for market, we
have routine of hurtful practices
that reduce the price, in my candid
opinion, at least two cents per
pound.
To all inducements offered for a
change, the invariable reply comes,
this extra handling will not pay. If
this estimate | suggest is correct,
and candidly see no reason to be-
lieve it would not be more, the ad-
vance to the farmer would be ten
dollars on the bale, and to the
State. on an average crop, eight
million dollars. This care must be-
gin with the seed, in determining the
character of the lint demanded by
the markets. Very great attention
has been given, at the South, to the
improvement Of seed but this has
been directed more particularly to
the abundance of the crop than the
character of the product. 1t is very
we'll to produce an abundance, but
it will be better to make it OF good
quality and marketable. To be put
upon the market in bad condition
brings loss to the farmer, unneces-
sary expense to the manufacturer in
damage to machines, and diasatisfac-
ton to the general public who use
its products.
When we consider the little ex-
pense necessary for improvement
and the great advantages possible
upon the change, it is little re-
markable that farmers have so long
delayed change in their methods
of handling. A lack of improve
ment in the seed has doubtless been
owing to the extended operations in
planting. Cotton seed degenerates
SO rapidly and our labor is so unre-
liable in the selection of the best
varieties, that many farmers .aban-
don the enterprise after orce or
twice undertaking, as troublesome
and improbable. Yielding to diff
culties and failing of persistence
in what we know to be best has
gone long ways towards making
our labor unreliable. 1t is time
now that we had checked the num-
erous 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 a
method of so very much trouble for
farmer himself to select enough
cotton to plant two or three acres of
ground to grow his planting seed.
The succeeding year, under his per-
sonal supervision, added to his per-
sonal effort, there can be gathered
enough for his entire Thanksgiving,
again, for his personal effort. his
same patch of two acres from his
very best Improvement. This sug-
gestion obtains with equal force, and
should be applied with equal energy
to all the crops raised on the farm
"a carefullseleCtion of seed.
There is, upon a record, a picking
Of 1000 pounds of seed cotton in
one day by one hand from the farms
in Texas. Every practical man
knows this was at least eighty per
cent. trash, and the cotton was
damaged for market for more than
the excessive work paid.
Cotton that is intended for exhi-
bition at fairs is carefully packed by
the most careful hands on the farm.
So should every pound that is in
tended for the market. The plan
now is to gather it regardless of
bolls and leaves, and for every TWEEN
ty 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 his feet on the beautiful white,
as he packs his picking to suit the