The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1889-12-17
HANDLING THE AMERICAN CO T.
. TON CROP.
Co.. 4. J, Slrdge, Of Kyle, Texas, be-
fore tn National TURNER'S Congress,
Held at Montgomery, Alobama,
NOvembar l3h- 1889.

Held at Montgomery, alabama,
November 13b, 1889.
1t is n of the most remarkable
freaks OF nature, that an article of such
universal use and nece ssity, should be
produced only on such asmall fraction
of the earth's surface, and its produc-
ton dependent upon such q limited
number of people. Just think, that
So per cent. of the worlds supply is
under the prime control Of the people
Of the Southern portion of the United
States, and unanimous dete cmination
to plant no more, would par4lyze the
industry Of the earth. The yearly
values growing out of the cotton crop,
are without parallel in history, and
compared with the aggregate, all the
gold mines of Peru, California and the
Indies, sink into insignifcance. With
such a generous gift from Nature, the
cotton producers section should be
the very garden of the world, it's
homes, palaces, and it's people princes;
but through the unjust conditions pre-
vailing, established and continued by
the wiles and designs of schemers and
tricksters, by the enactment Of unjust
and evil legislation, the people who
raise cotton are still struggling in
poverty; little better than serfs to the
favored and irresponsible few. But
the question which presents itself to
the cotton producers of the South, is,
chow can we direct our energies, to
gain the best results for ourselves,
from this great boon nature has be,
slowed upon US !" How shall we
handle the cotton crop?' The sub
ject may well be divided into two
parts: first, the consideration of the
handling of the cotton crop in its pro
duction and preparation for market,
and, second, the handling of the cotton
crop in it's sale and shipment, or upon
the markets, as a commodity Of COM
MERGE.
Under the first head, there are
many minor evils and abuses, which
| have not the time to discuss; but
there are several prominent evils that
demand attention. In a general way,
it must be admitted that there is not
care enough taken in the harvesting
of cotton, to avoid trash, sand and
dirt; and that the presence Of foreign
substances is always very expensive,
because it lowers the grade. 1t is
generally ginned by public gins, that
are paid by the bale or hundred
pounds; and they are allowed to gin
too fast, and, as a consequence, the
cotton fibre is often badly cut up and
mapped. It will always be found
profitable to carefully pick and gin
the crop. One of the greatest evils in
handling the crop, in it's preparation
for market, and one that continues to
be wasteful and expensive in it's sub
sequent handling as a commodity of
comerce, is the size Of the bales, and,
as a consequence, the character of
wrapping necessary. 1t is usually put
up in bales weighing 500 pounds each.
They are, of course, so unwieldy that
they must always, in handling, be
rolled upon the ground in the mud,
sand, or dirt, and require heavy,
coarse wrapping, and heavy iron
bands, which makes a tare of from
fifteen to thirty pounds per bale, and,
even then, does not protect the cotton.
A small bale weighing one hundred
and fifty pounds, could be handled by
one man, and need W be laid down
in the dirt; requires nothing but wires
to preserve it's shape, so that it may
be slipped into sacks, which may be
returned to the shipper, and, as a con-
sequence, removes all loss from tare,
as we'll as expense Of freight on the
tare. The small bales are packed by
a simple and cheap machine to a greater
density than the best compress is able
to give the large bales now In use. l
would therefore recommend the small
bale system of handling cotton as a
vast improvement upon present meth
DDS, and as a perfect way of forever
settling the jute bagging wal; and
think that the sacks for covering the
small bales should be made of cotton,
because it is so much less ~infammable,
and more impervious to moisture. |
am prepared to demonstrate that a
saving of eighteen millions of dollars
yearly can be secured to the cotton
planter by the introduction Of the
small bale.
To sum up, the methods of hand.
ling cotton upon the farm may be i'm.
proved, by a more careful system OF
picking and ginning, by packing in
small bales, and by housing in dry
storage houses, until offered for sale,
Under the second division of my
subject, that of handling the cotton
upon the markets, there are many
things to consider.
Tbo 1roS+s on1 couiDOs rrouino