The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1890-01-23
SOUTHERN AGRICULTURAL


oOn1o 1OpuAar E91Iacle8 Exposed
SIT is not surprising that some of the
efforts of the jute combine should be in
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 it should not alarm us to find South
erh men taking the field against US, and
even farmer here or there. led on by
selfish interests or by his close eonnec-
ton with merchants, factors, capitalists,
exporters and middlemen-in 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. Barnwel, Of Macon, Ga,
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 jute by abusing and slandering
cotton, the truth is that they have a
hard case, because this jute is a
wretched covering for cotton in every
particular, and has been put upon farm
ers only too long. Jute is a 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.
It also, to some extent fills it with
shives It rapidly absorbs water and
great deal of it. 1t ferments when wet
and damages and rots Immediately.
It holds water and heat and
has to be cut away to dry very
wet cotton. 1t is infiammable to the
highest degree, will explode, and when
creased generate spontaneous combus-
ton. It is poor to mark on, and from
it's color, concealing both mud and dam
age, tempts rough treatment in trans
portation. 1t is loosely woven and does
not cover cotton. It's apparent strength
tempts rough use Of hooks, but the
greater part of it being filed upon
smaller and inelastic woof, tears literal
1y to ribbons. 1t is manufactured of un-
equal weights, and the weight of the
heaviest is adopted as tare, entailing a
consequent loss. This is enough to say
against any covering, but it is absolute
" true, and will not be denied by any
one who is honest and intelligent. Now
cotton is better than iute in these par
ticulars: It is far less infiammable.
It is more difficult to wet and easier
to dry. Showing at once all rough
usage from mud, ETC., 1t will induce
more care in handling, and the damage
being less hid will be easier to place
upon the guilty party. It is good to
mark on. 1t sheds no shives. 1t does
not stain. It is useful for any purpose,
as sheets, towels, bed spreads, ETC., or
for spinning over after being used. It
Is durable in the highest degree, and on
account of it's elasticity and its lying
close to the bale 1t is stronger and hard
or to tear with hooks than iuto. 1t is of
uniform weight and the tare fixed. It's
small tare allows better chance for
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 it is objected, the experiment has
not been tried; the matter has not been
thoroughly tested. If that be so, now
is the best time to test it. If
American spinners are greedy and old
John Bull is slow, now is the time for
the farmer to get right. They say the
season is upon US; there is no time for
this crop. Letus put off the season; we
are not in any hurry. Let us give them
sixty or ninety or more days to find out
what we already know, and until they
educate themselves, let us keep our cot
ton. We know that the visible supply
is admitted by customers to be short
some 100000 bales, and the invisible
supply Snorter even than in 1887. La
than, Alexander, & Co., the great cotton
statisticians, stated in their book of
facts, which all cotton men have seen,
that 1000, 900 bales were an absolute me-
cessity for the uses Of the trade, and in
that year there was shortage. Now
for two consecutive seasons the crop has
been 200, 900 bales less than that which
makes 10000 bales short Last
years crop contained about AGO.
600 bales low cotton, unavail-
able for the ordinary fabrics, and
this refuse now constitutes the bulk of
the stock. Here, then, is a shortage of
10000 bales, not to speak of the i'm
crease Of consumption in two years The
fact that spots in New York are worth
nearly cent more than contracts show
how the shoe is pinching. Now, was
there ever better chance for the farm
er to teach the consumer that he can not
rob him, for robbery it is to allow no
more for bale containing 1856 pounds of
net cotton than for one of 40. AS mat
ter of course, all consumers will try the
game, but when they find farmers united
and determined simply to hold their
cotton, and see these farmers acting un-
der the advice of reliable and competent
committees, then they viii awake to a
better sense of honesty. Our cotton
committee can not be bought, and will
not be intimidated. -Southern Cultiva-
tor.
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