Woodville Republican. (Woodville, Miss.) 185?-current, 1889-12-07
SOUTHERN AGRICULTURAL


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 1t should not alarm us to find South
ern men taking the field against us, and
even q farmer here or there, led on by
selfish interests or by his close connec-
ton with merchants, factors, capitalists,
exporters and middlemen-in a word,
by those who have so long quietly abb
sorbed the profits Of farming. l 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 lutte by abusing and slandering
cotton, the truth is that they have
hard case, because this jute is
wretched covering for cotton in every
particular, and has been put upon farm
ers only too long. Jute is 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
shiyes 1t rapidly absorbs water and
gruaC 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 infammable 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
smaller and inelastic woof, tears literal
lv to ribbons. 1t is manufactured OF un-
equal weights, and the weight OF the
heaviest is adopted as tare, entailing
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 is honest and intelligent. Now
cotton is better than jute in these par
ticulars: 1t is far less inlammable.
It 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. II Is gnod To
mark on. 1t eheds no shives. 1t does
not stain. 1t is useful for any purpose
as sheets, towels, bed spreads, etc, OF
, for spinning over after being used. Ii
is durable in the highest degree, and on
account of its elasticity and its lying
close to the bale it is stronger and hard
er to tear with HOOKS than jute. 1t is Of
; uniform weight a. the tare fixed. Its
small tare allows a better chance fol
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 II is objected, the experiment has
not been tried; the matter has not beer
, thoroughly tested. If that be so, now
ia the best time to test it. i
American spinners are greedy and ole
John Bull is slow, now is the time fol
the farmer to get right. They say the
. season is upon us; there is no time fol
this crop. Letus put off the season; We
, are not in any hurry. Let us give then
sixty or ninety or more days to find ou
: what we already know, and until the.
!. educate themselves, let us keep our cot
ton. We know that the visible suppl.
4 is admitted by customers to be shor
4 some 100000 bales, and the invisible
supply shorter even than in 1887. La
than, Alexander & Co., the great cottol
statisticians, stated in their book O
. facts, which all cotton men have seen
. that Z, 900, 900 bales were an absolute ne
cessity for the uses of the trade, and i
that year there was shortage. Nov
= for two consecutive seasons the crop ha
q been 200, 900 bales less than that, whic
makes 100000 bales short. Las
years crop contained about 400
900 bales low cotton, unavai
>. able for the ordinary fabrics, an
i this refuse now constitutes the bulk {
the stock. Here, then, is shortage {
= 1890, 600 bales, not to speak of the il
), crease of consumption in two years. Th
fact that spots in New York are wort
- nearly cent more than contracts sho
now the shUe is pinUhiug. Now, wa
there ever better chance for the farm
;f er to teach the consumer that he can nC
:, = rob him, for robbery it is to allow Il
, more for bale containing 4S6 pounds
net cotton than for one of 470. As ma
ter of course, all consumers will try tn
y, game, but when they find farmers unite
and determined simply to hold the
=, cotton, and see these farmers acting III
a der the advice of reliable and competeI
~ committees, then they will awake to
better sense of honesty. Our cotto
u committee can not be bought, and wi
;. not be intimidated.-S Cultiv
tor.