The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1894-09-13
MIR. Nesbitt's Monthly Address
to the Georgia Farmers.
BAL1NG AND MARKETING COTTON.
An Important Subject Dwelt Upon at
Length by the Commissioner of Agri.
culture-The Tremendous Waste Our
Careless Methods Entail-Fertilizers
Discussed.
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE,
ATLANTA, Sept. l, 1S9.

already, more than once, called atten-
ton to the careless methods of gather
ing, storing, ginning, baling, and then
exposing to all weathers, after it is made
ready for our home market. 1t is true
that the price is not fixed by the home
market, that is done in Liverpool and
Manchester, but the reckless methods of
marketing our cotton are so well known
that in fixing the price a liberal deduc-
ton has always been made, not only for
baggtng and ties, but for dirt, mixed
sample and water, and this heavy per
cent amounting to millions of dollars
has come out of the farmers pockets.
With the first four reductions we are
familiar, but we know little Of the ire
mendous waste which our careless
methods entail, and what large influ-
ence this has In reducing the price of
our staple. Governor Northern, who
has been investigating this subject, has,
in the August number of the Southern
Cultivator," made the following quota
tons from some of the consular reports,
and he says he does not find single re-
port which speaks favorable of the con-
diton of American cotton, as compared
with that of India and Egypt. 1t is
hoped, that the attention Of the farmers
being once arrested, and their energies
thoroughly aroused, the result. will be
tne eventual saving of heavy yearly
loss, which they can i'll afford to bear,
and which seems the more unaccounta-
bic, from the fact that the large leak
hno k0 Ill -
additional expense.
Mr.. Mason, consul at Frankfort, says:
American cotton is, as hitherto, the
worst packed Of all that comes to this
part of Germany. 1t is GENERALLY easy
to pick out American bales from any
pile of cotton by their torn and bedrag-
gled appearance"
The consul at Havre saws:
much of the American cotton ar
rjves here in very bad condition-the
iron bands broken, the bagging torn and
otherwise mutilated, and often rotten
from exposure to the elements"
Mr.. Monaghan, the consul at Chem
mtg, remarks that ''the packing of
American raw cotton causes a deal of
anxiety and complaint here. The iute
cloth covering is SO torn before the
bales reach Chemnitz that the cotton is
exposed to mud, water, fire and theft.
OF the original six or eight iron bands,
two, three, four and sometimes more,
are loose or broken; the cotton bulges
out, takes up dirt and dust, when in
dry place; mud in the docks; sea water,
when in the ships, and rain water,
when on land or wharves, or in trans
mission by boat, raft or wagon. In
transport, every gust of wind tears
away pieces of valuable commodity.
The wharves, customhouse floors and
freight cars are usually covered with
pieces torn or dropped from such bales"
Mr.. Crawford, consul at St. Peters
burg, says:
''In this particular, American cotton
bales are compared very ,unfavorably
with the Egyptian, which invariably
arrive in excellent condition, and per
fectly clean. The Egyptian bales are
only about half the size of the Ameri-
can, and are wrapped in heavy linen
covers and securely bound with iron
hoops. The number of hoops on bale
of Egyptian cotton is greater than that
on an American bale, Notwithstanding
the difference in size. The Egyptian
cotton has equally rough sea voyage and
handling as American"
Mr.. Neal, consul at Liverpool, says:
Cotton is shipped to this district
chiefly from the southern ports of the
United States, and the bales are very
often in rough condition, because the
coarse canvas covers, are insufficient in
weight and strength to stand the usage
to which the bales are subjected en-
RQl0c Of nOfkn11 koI1al
mended in Liverpool, and sent forward
material for outside covering is heavy,
strong canvas, and the bales should be
bound by 10 iron bands instead of by
seven, as at present. The most import
ant matter that requires the attention
Of shippers in the United States is the
manner of loading nonliner steamers at
some Of the southern ports, where it is
the practice to screw the bales into the
vessels and to cut off their ends to make
them fit into the hold. A great deal of
cotton is lost from the bales, owing to
the tearing of the canvas in the process
of screwing, and as the ship unloads,
this loose cotton falls about the hold
and the quays, and is more or less dam
aged by being trampled upon and mixed
with the dust and dirt on the floors. It
is never fit to be put back into the bales,
and consequently has to be sold at
greatly deprecated value Much of it
is never recovered at all, being swept up
with the rubbish on the quay, and dis
posed Of by the ship owners or dock au-
thorities, who are bound to keep the
ground clear of such infammable ma
terial.
NEARLY every vessel from the south
ern ports of the United States lands a
quantity of loose cotton, equal to from
one to eight bales of cotton, which does
not include quantities given to make up
broken bales.
I'm conclusion, the suggestion. with
reference to cotton are: The use of bet
ter canvas and more bands in making
mp bale, the abolition of screwing cot
ton into vessel, the prohibition of cut
ting ends off bales to make them fit
ships holds, and the adoption of uni
form size of bale throughout the cotton
states, which would do much 10 insure
better and more careful slowing on
board ship"
Elsewhere in this report will be seen
an article explaining some points as to