The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1891-07-23
FARMER AND PLANTER.
THE HARVEST PROBLEM.
Some of the Difficulties of Harvesting the
Cotton Crop Discussed.


Cotton Crop Discussed.
The difficulties of gatheing cotton is
the greatest drawback to this chief in
dustry of the south. If some one could
Just get machine that would do the
work quickly, then the cotton industry
would be golden one for the farmer.
For the present there is. not much en-
enlargement for him to exert himself
and turn his labor into extra bales of
the feecy staple. Suppose he does
make eighteen bales instead of twelve
by his individual labor, twelve bales
are all he can possibly pick out in the
season of ninety-s days, granting that
he can pick 200 pounds a day, which
is more than the average man can do.
Then there are always days among the
ninety-six which are unserviceable as
cotton-pieking days; there are days
when he has his bursting headaches, or
when the fence is down, or there are
other things of a no less eXacting char
acter to prevent him from gathering,
and even for the man with the little
family twelve bales, easy enough to
raise, are very hard to get picked out.
So that when he exerts himself or the
weather has been propitious, and he
raises eighteen, he must either see the
extra six rot in the field or go to the
expense of hiring the picking done, and
by the time he has paid for the picking
which, after all, is about the best-paid
work on the farm-paid for the baling
and done the hauling, his good fortune
has dwindled to an uncertain little trifie.
Time and again vague rumors of the
success of some efficient machine have
come, but just as often they have
proved to be naught, and the problem
of gathering cotton continues in just
about the condition set forth in the pre-
ceding paragraph.
The latest story comes from a ma
chine at Waco, that may or may not be
forgotten within the year In either
case it is well enough to look about for
some more practicable method of get
ting over the difficulty than machine.
For it certainly looks impossible for
anything less perfect in mechanism,
less instinct with human intelligence
than human fingers to pick clean cot
ton. Machines are all too impartial
They would be just as well pleased to
put the wood the dirt and the woody
fiber of the stalk into the sack as they
would be to put the cotton. 1t seems
as if the problem is to remain within
human fingers and be solved there, if
solved at all.
There is a possibility that cotton
picking may be made craft at which
skillfull artisans, working for less even
than the rates now paid, can make
good wages. There are men who can
do it now, but they are regarded as ac-
cidents of creation, and they excite lit
tie curiosity as to their methods,
among the very people who could emu
late them with profit. Some of them
can pick 600 pounds of cotton in day.
They are simply masters of the craft,
craft that is yet in its infancy. There
is no reason why all men who raise
cotton should not learn to gather it in
skillful way. They must learn it bv
fast practice and by watching the.
methods of those who are already
slzillful There is no intel
ligent reason why there should
be SO much difference between
the abilities of two active men in
a cotton field, as that one should pick
six hundred day and the other one
hundred. The mere fact of the case is
that one has applied himself with de-
sire to acquire skill and the other is
either novice or has never thought
there was anything to be studied or
learned about the matter IN hand.
There is no such differenc in the speed
of other artisans. OF two typewriters
of equal practice and training one will
probably write thousand words while
another writes nine hundred. Of two
hat makers, of two sail makers, of two
timers, the work of one may be to that
OF the other as ten to nine in a given
time, but never as two to one. If it
should ever happen so, the slow work
man would be told that he was only an
and set to learn new lessons.
AN EXPERT INTERVIEWED.
Some time ago half dozen men were
sitting in the upholstered wagoaette at
the depot waiting for the train when
the subject turned on cotton picking.
81 can pick a hundred and fifty
pounds day." said one.
And l have gone as high as two hun
dred," said number two.
81 was reared on farm and have
done my share of grabbing at the
staple, but | couldn't get over sixty |
pounds if sixty-one were needed to save
my neck, said the third.
''Mr. Ran McCalla can pick that much |
IN an hour. He can pick a pound a |
minute and hold out at it for weeks.
working ten hours and more every |
lay, " rejoined some one.
This statement fingered in the mind !
1f Chronicle scribe who heard Il. and /
Mr.. McCalla being an intelligent young
awyer, it was hoped that he could give
some explanation of the methods which
enabled him to SO far outstrip the av-
'rage as cotton picker. He was found
n the midst of some legal business
Monday, but stopped with characteris-
ic courtesy when approached on the
subject of cotton picking. The reporter.