The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-02-27
season. So. 81 Ica ATlal Te1as. Totals

The sea i land cotton is grown on the
islands along the Carolina coast and in a
few Of the connSies of South Georgia and
Northern Flerida, the land in these locali-
ties being peculiarly suited to les production.
The sea Islands produce the highest variety
of long staple, which is finer and silkier
than that grown upon the mainland, which
is known to the trade rs Georgia and
Florida to distinguish 1t frem the finer
product Of the sea Islands. 1t is commonly
called black seed cotton. to distinguish It
from the common short staple or green
seed cotton.
THE FLUCTUATIONS IN PRICE.
The factuation in the crops OF various
years is caused by the variation in prices
Of different years, which caused planters
distant from the coast, where the land pro-
duces indifsrently well either green seed
or black seed, to change Their crops
Accord g to the state Of prices dur
ing the previous season. By the tabular
statement Of the crops it win be seen that
the size Of the crops decreased after the
war and UP to lS76-U During
that decade, WITH considerable fluctuations,
there was an average decline until prices
were only about one-third of what they
were Immediately after the war. About
this time il seemed as il the crop would 60
out OF existence, and perhaps would have
been almost exclusively confined 10 the
but for the fact that the large increase in
the numb of sewing machines throughout
the country made it necessary that spool
thread should be very much stronger than
that needed for hand sewing.
USED ron FINER THREADS.
This compelled the thread mills to use
sea island cotton for those numbers Of
thread for which they had heretofore used
the higher grades Of upland cotton. Prior 10
that date. sea island cotton had been usel
almost exclusively in making lace scarfs
and various light fabrics, aud, as the de-
mand for these articles fuctuated with the
fashions, 50 the price OF sea island cotton
varied from year TO year. The demand for
sea islands for spinal z in the spool thread
mills changed the entire status Of the
crop by creating steady demand from
year TO year, and at bsee present time it is
probable that at least two'thlrds the entire
crop is used for making thread for domes-
tic sewing, for taiiors' sewing. for the large
manufacturers of ready made clothing aud
similar styles Of goods, and q considerable
portion is used by cobblers aud harness
makers, and in making nets, ashiag nass,
etc
The large crops Of the last six years have
been sold at moderate prices, whish has ia
duced manufacturers Of hesiery ana Isle
thread goods 10 experiment With sea island
cotton With continued large crops and low
prices ID is probable there will be an in
creasingdemsna from this source also.
NO FEAR OF ovERPRopUcrIoN.
Under these circumstances there need not
be the apprehension of overproduction,
which In former times used to alarm the
pla lters when the consumption depended
on the caprices of the fashionable world
The dsnena for sea island eottoa is for tAe
use Of manufacturers whose ARTICLES are
staple pr duets and may be relied upon TO
continue from year to year. Spool thread
suitable for sewing machines Is as ueces-
sary In the hnnblest household now as
cooking utensils or any other domestic
furniture.
Next to the increased demand for sea
island cotton, its inc eased production has
been due Co the Introduction and general
distribution Of fine and prolific seed Plant.
ers upon the Carolina islands make a spe-
cialty Of raising sucn seed for sale, and they
take as much pride, and are as successful in
raising, as Brandreth and others are
with their weil-kaown garden seed.
More than twenty years age the factors of
Savannah, realizing the importance OF such
seed, commenced inducing their pla ting
customers in Florida 20 buy il, and the result
was that after q few years cotton was pro-
ducsd in Fierida which rivsled the Carolina
islasd cotton, and watch was more prolific
in Florida than it had been in Carolina. The
yield OF lint to seed cotton his been steadily
increased by the use Of such seed. Before
its introduction the avsra Yield was
not more than one pound OF lint
to Eve pounds Of seed cotton.
In the whole stats of Florida the ave ar,
at present is probably onh pouad of lint K
four pounds OF seed cotton.
BLAcR SEED MORE PROFITABLE
From this cause alone the planter realizes
from the same laHd and the same labor, u
per cent more money, without taking into
account that such seed produces cottoI
whica excels in staple. and thus command:
better price than the C ton produced from
the seed used n old times IN that ssate
About ten years ago the planters Of Georgis
begal to realize the adsantags which
their neighbors la Florida had gained from
the use of such seed and for tae last re OF
elk years 1t has been pretty generally dis
tributed IL Georgia as well as in Florida.
The average lanas in Georgia devoted to
black seed cotton are lighter tban those
in Florida, and the cotton on
s1ch lands does not make quite
as fine staple as that grown on the better
lands Of Florida, bat il is sufficiently fine and
strong tor the purp Sc of the spool-thread
spinners, and the yield of Hat TO seed CO .toA
is grea er up1n the lands in Georgia than
in Florida. It is not unusual Ia the coua-
ties Of Bnllocs, TAFT aall, Liberty. Lowndes
and pier@a far farrnora M -,ot ON -. a.