The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1893-02-01
Gold Dust Cotton.
Southern Cultivator.
Woford College, S. c.

OO''oJ~
Gold Dust Cotton.
Southern Cultirator.
Believing it is our duty to let the light
there may be on us shine, wish to avail
myself of the columns of the CuItiuator,
the best Southern agricultural paper, in
delivering to my brother farmers what /
believe to be valuable message.
Planters are all more or Jess familiar
with the improved varieties of cotton
that have been long in general use. The
Peterkin, the Welborn's Pet, the Her
long, etc., have been tried in nearly every
community and have gained more or less
popularity. One Of the latest claimants
in this section is the "Gold Dust" And
I firmly believe that it works an advance
over atl other varieties as great, If not
greater, than has ever been made at one
bound by any cotton. believe that it
is the best cotton ever planted.
Only one year ago my attention was
FIRST called to this cotton in such way
as to induce me to investigate it. Hav-
Jog seen letter from the manager of the
South Carolina experiment station at Go.
lumbia, in which he gave his experience
with this cotton, wrote him. he re-
piled very fully, describing his expert
ment and conclusions and advising me,
if able to do so, to buy seed for my whole
crop. He said that it was "by far the
best cotton be had ever seen." On one
half acre only half msnured, be made o
good bale. This and sIl his other varie-
ties came up late in June, and the Gold
Dust had, when the frost come October
9Th, matured every boil; while the other
varieties were caught with about one half
their crop unmade.
l further found that every man that
had every tried the Gold Dust, had for
it only praise of the highest kind. So,
though had never seen stalk Of it, nor
man who had, l decided to buy enough
seed to plant my whole crop. "a rash
venture" do you say? l reasoned that
if it was only half as good as its friends
said, would make twice as much as
had ever done with the Peterkin or the
Pet, and would doubtless find ready sale
for my seed at good price. To secure
the best, I bought seed two and three
years old, planted separate from any
other cotton.
When my cotton began to put on
forms, it attracted attention. Neighbors
from far and near came to see it, and
every one said that be had never seen
anything like it. The limbs came out
right at the ground, grew quite long and
averaged at least one for every inch OF
heighth of stalk. The forms were very
closely crowded on every limb and all the
way from stalk to eud Of limb. Stalks
three feet high with 200 to 300 forms
were common enough.
When the bolls began to near maturi-
ty. every one was struck with their great
size. Mr.. Gailliard compared it in this
respect with his other varieties, and
found that while the others took about
100 bolls to make pound, 100 bolls of
Gold Dust gave the unprecedented yield
of one pound ten ounces.
How about the yield of lint The seed
are large and the lint no longer than un'
usual, so one would hardly expect an un'
usual yield. From thirty-67e to forty
per cent. is about what is claimed for it;
yet see from all quarters much better
returns than that. One report gives
forty four.
The fine body and longness of lint is
another valuable feature. sold it to
tbe most experienced buyer i'll Sumter,
one Of the best judges in this State, and
he said that it had the best body be had
ever seen on any cotton. All have sold
has brought the top of the market. The
Gold Dust will make a crop 10 three or
four weeks less time than any other l
know anything about.
These, then, are the points in which
the Gold Dust has proved its superiority
to all others Qaickness of growth; {;
sureness of crop; earliness; number and
length of limb number and size of
bolls; ease in picking; turn out at the
gin; 6neness and toughness of lint; !;
ability to stand bad weather; large yield
per acre. d. ". b.
MayesviNe, S C.