Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1892-01-28
FARMER AND PLANTER.
COTTON RAISING.


For years past have been con-
tributor to the agricultural and other
papers, and during these many years OF
strife and oppression of the agricultural
interests have ever been in the fore
front in urging our southern people to
raise less cotton, and more provision
and better stock AS before stated,
having spent many years in trying to
better the condition of our agricultural
classes, and raise them to that high
and noble plane which it is their priv
ilege to occupy, and having made this
a special study, came to the concu-
sion that the farmers all over the cotton
growing portion of these United States
have, and will, as long as time lasts, raise
all the cotton they possibly can. The
alliance nor the devil can dissuade
them from this course, for they have
gone on from year to year raising cot
ton, to the exclusion of all provision
crops, with mortgaged homes and other
heavy debts hanging over them. and
contracting new debts to be paid with
six or seven cent cotton, when every
intelligent man knows, and will admit,
that under our present system of labor
and agricultural appliances, 1t costs
more than seven cents per pound to
'aise and market this cotton. This
theme has been handled so much that
it is worn perfectly threadbare. Yet,
astounding fact, for true it is, we go on
from year to year raising more cotton,
to buy more mules to raise more cot
ton, and so it will ever be under the
present status of affairs.
Now, am one of the few who believe
that there is correct and reasonable
solution to every problem, and claim
to have solved this great problem. See
ing that was useless to longer urge oul
people to plant less cotton and raise
more supplies, and seeing that the cot
ton producers are growing poorer ant
poorer with each succeeding year. | SCI
my wits to work to devise some plan Oh
means, whereby we can raise all the
cotton we can gather, and at the same
time, raise it at profit. This can be
done by using improved seeds and great
ly reducing the labor necessary in max
ing the crop. This set to work to ac
complish, and | am happy to say, tina
I have succeeded far beyond my mos
sanguine expectations. In the frs
place | have constructed IA cotton-seeC
dropper-a machine that will drol
any number of seed in hills, any
desired distance apart, and it is not an,
more difficult tohandc or manage thar
any ordinary cotton planter. | desir,
in this connection to give my experience
n dropping cotton seed in hills: Having
been engaged for the past seven years
n improving and bringing up to higl
tate of perfection several varieties o
:otton, have made it rule to drol
he seed in hills, and / find that the,
,ome up quicker and better, and grow
IF much more vigorously and finer
han when the seed were drilled. Whel
lropped in hills the young plants vii
rot suffer for hoe work before ampl
ime to plow over it twice. Planted il
ILLS hand hoe can hoe twice as muc'
Is when drilled in fact, "A crop can b
made without putting a hoe in 1t, as tn
ants can be thinned by hand A han,
an thin out in this way several acre
er day.
My inventive genius did not sto
,ere, for every good farmer knows tina
he hoe work is the most expensive
md the most imperfectly done of an
abor required in making cotton croL
I, therefore, set to work to obvate thi
rreat expense and trouble, for Cuffy
memorable and eXorbitant in his de
nands-in 'hoe time" e. -.r- re
| have invented an instrument tina
viii side up and hoe six acres per day
With one mule and one hand, and wi
10 the work in much better name
han it is done at present, and it ca
De just as easily managed as "A con
non pillow, Now, let's figure on tn
little, for | intend that the que
ion shall hereafter be, How niue
E :otton can gather?" and not, "ao
much can I malke?" as hereto
ore. Study the following figures car
ully. Bear in mind, that one han
md mule in one day, will side up, {
)ar off, and hoe six acres per day, c
hirty-six acres per week; so let's TAX
me weeks work
hopping SO acres cotton a 81 per acre $ 80
siding 36 acres, hands and 2 mules,6
days, 81. 80 each day ..s..- .....,4 Is
Cost in old way Of siding and chopping 80
acres ....,......', ,...' Oh
Now the new way:
One hand and mule, q days, a Sl.50per
day ...,,..,, 900. ,................-.
Difference in favor of new or improved
method. ass. .'... ....,''..,'S 40
In three plowings and hoeings, we save .Sl35
Now with these implements one hand -
will cultivate los acres and go over
it every three weeks. .,.. ,.,...,., $405
Or save the enormous sum of ov