Thomas County cat., 1890-02-06
sh;Irs'UN.
Something ahaGt this Staple Article Of
The South.
BUREAU or SOUTHERN NEWS.
ttn l.. continue H.


RALEIGH. n. e..
.iny series OF letters from the South
which did no, treat fully of cotton, its
production and uses. would. if not "A fail
ure. hc greatly wanting in that which is
If vita! interest ls this part of the cnun
Try. The cotton crop demands mere la
Dor OF man and beast: covers large,
area during the growing season: possesses
| Is sale a. d use a greater influence than
! all other crops Of the Southern States
| Tia Croator. in the changes to which he
| hrs subjected the surface of the globe
has kindly prepared this portion for a
gain TO mankind IN the raising OF cotton
| Eut the Souihera States have by III"
| means IA monopoly of its production. ii
crows the world around in all lands lying
between thirty six degrees mouth and
south of The equator. A. d. where the
other conditions which determine ciim,i
are favorable. ii is raised in this country
, north nt thirly six degrees. We rails"
enough for the Use OF the whole United
>ialcs. and Il part oi what is used in the
III nufact"rieS nf England and +. ance.
| While We hold no monopoly in the
| Worlds prnGuct nf cotton. we 90 l;"lu
the p psiiion of chisf imp"rtan in quail;
~. l.. ire region included between the
| Souihw Il boundary nf Texas and the AT
|. II ic Ocean. lie The best cotton lands "f
the globe; and on those lands are raised
t.iC iwu bC>i varieties of the kuown
world. These varieties are the Upland
>hoIt Staple. and the Sea Island Long
Sapc. The short stsple produces lint
| about one and one fourth inches in
length, and numerous seeds covered
with down The Sea island produces
lint about a halt inch longer and seeds
nearly bare. The shor, staple will grLw
on ali colto n lands The SEA island will
grow only on the islands off the coast of
Georgia and South Carolina. The sea
island cotton commands the highest price
in all markets. The short st"ple conSti
tuteS the bu of cotton raised and sold
from ou' cotton ports. Egypt and Bra
zil produce large quantities of cotton.
But the products of bn' h are inferior to
ours, either in the length of lint or in the
nature of the seed.
Colt, n has been called King. King in
this country. not by choice of people. nor
because he has inherited crowns and gur
geous palaces and royal domains, but by
Divine right indeed, which has crowned
him with long hair and anointed him
precious OIL
PLANTING
The first process is to prepare the seed
for planting. The seed is about the size
of a small bean; it is of an egg shape,
and covered with very tough shell. SIM
liar to the shell of an apple seed. On the
outer surface of the shell is a fuzzy sub
stance. the remains of cotton which the
gin did not take off The seed must be
rolled il. dust or ashes to separate it; as
the fuZZ causes the seeds 10 adhere to
one another The seed is first sprinkled
with water ashes or dust scattered over
it. and with hoe it is mixed aud rolled |
until the seeds are separated. Some far
mers have an arrangement for rolling the |
seed by putting it int" a barrel with a
shaft through il to which crank is at
,ached. The seed is put into the barrel
after being dampened, ashes put in with
it. a,d the barrel is kept. in motion till
tle seeds are separated.
The land to be planted is ridged in rows |
about four feet apart. according to the |
fertility of the soil; the richer the land. |
the greater should be the distance be- !
tween the rows. The old way of plant |
ing cotton was 10 open "a trench along |
the top of the ridge in which the seed |
was sown, A pillow having short piece |
of board attached to it was then run SO |
that the board by dragging the ridge COW
cred the seed And one Of the funn lest |
sights that northern man can behold, is |
solemn iarkey and his bosom frind. a 1
mule, chasing light souther. plow