Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-08-31
PLAIN TALK ON COTTON.
Interesting Facts Stated by Great
Planter.
INSIDE HISTORY OF THE PLANT.
The Negro Question as arpiicd TO
Pihntntions-'rh- Cost OF Pro-
duction OF Cotton.

Being az the Waldorf hotel. south
western man there called my attention to
a broad shouldered. broad backed. dark,
well dressed man. as the largest planter
OF cotton in the United states. Mr. Rich
ardson. During the evening, when the
little coteries in the waldorf cafe lose
their boundary lines and loat together, I
met this gentleman. who with confidence
spoke upon the subject OF cotton ia a
very interesting way. The hour was so
late that many Of the incest points were
opseured In the Him OF next mornings
memory Nonturlng, however, 10 collect
the morning mama which had fallen the
previous night l jot down some points
ana give thcm In Mr.. Richardson's nrst
person singular.
Cotton is up" said MIR. Richardson
ior some OF my highest bred cotton
received Ste, much above the market
price. / breed cotton as other men breed
their horses and cows-in the finest
strains. Like all precious staples. cotton
hiA Us afistocracy. II requires almost the
attention OF a woman. If you refuse II an
INFUSION OF quality or even OF common
moss 1t runs down. We can not, however,
improve our cotton like horses and COWS,
ny bringing In foreign staples. The whole
uumlNture has to be taken out OF tho
american varieties, Cotton las many
huines, some OF the names derived from
individuals or families: others are more
suggestive OF the character OF the cotton.
but the business OF the planter. N he
ineans business, Is to study each one OF
these varieties and see the wants OF his
crop and intone the product, and to some
extent debase H. that nature may have
her way My father before me was a
NlENrous cotton planter. Our family
fFHa D.
ana Ucld are Mississippi. | plant cotton
IN Louisiana. Arkansas, Tennessee. etc.
yet Mississippi is sui gcneris the Kingdom
OF cotton.
My crop is at least 1000 bales. which.
at 20 a bale, would be s2J0.01o annually.
Cotton, you may know, has fallen from l,s
former quotations Of $50 hale. IL became
so very low that the attention OF those
who grow and handle Ii was OF necessity
Wfntd TO IFS Iuturc. I never lost my faith
tant the South had IN cotton an ndvant-
age over every sort OF crop grown on tho
glohc. Such u wonder, however mret he
wooed and not treated with Indifference
or disdain. Now. I made mors money
when cotton was low than / had ever
made at It's high price The necessity
under which we were TO economizo and re-
dress some Of the grievances OF cotton
rilHlng lifted us out Of the rut. and ruts
are always fatal TO scientific agriculture
You can divide planters OF cotton. like
other men, into several kinds A man
mny hive the taste and experience 10 i'm |
rrove hlr cotton. and yet slip back into
being n failure when he comes to marriott
It, Therefore. you must never lose sight
OF your cotton from tho time you prepare
your ground and get your labor and as. |
sort your seed untll down TO tho moment |
when II passes from you finished pro-
duet, all bailed, shipped, freight paid. etc. |
Being the only product or prlme import- |
ance in the South. tho haryies which sur |
round cotton are nlmost lnnumerable ut /
costs $3.50 TO get that cotton baled, ship |
ped and delivered 20 the ultimate huvcr, |
he comes from tho New England |
mills the Southern mills or from Europe |
This Is n shave OF 20 per cent plantor |
OF cotton, therefore, must be a merchant. |
and to some extent n mechanic I hive |
given peculiar attention to respecting the (
laws OF the cotton delivery, yet bringing |
them out as far as possible 10 my I'D.
vantage. II Is not mydolf alone. but the |
large number OF people who subslst
through me and my work.
81 was too young to be IN the clyil war.
II Is ancient history TO me. ! have grown |
up under tho surroundings OF free negro
labor on my own plantation, Ny father
gave an impetus to rnlsing cotton. and
imbibed his example and have carried It
further on, Area IL something In cotton
raising, II you give your whole attention
10 IT, ! have good many thousand acres
In cotton. You ask me II the climate
South does not threaten my life, l think
! am tolerably solid. Moreover. / tell you
that ! am always well. Yet, after a
strong day In the plantations / am drip
ping fountain Of Precipitation. / live In
New orleans. When ! go 10 the planta-
tons, which stretch from NicksburH TO
Memphis. leave New orleans ct night
In the sleeping car. Soon after the break
fast hour, when the morning mlsts have
disappeared / am set down In The planta-
that over, not merely the cotton which |
raise. but all It's associations and pro-
ducts. l have to buy hundreds Of mules
every year, or to breed those which haul
the stuff TO the landing or the depot.
The matter OF subsistence also for the cat
tie. hogs, otc.. which the labor absorbs
In the progress toward the cotton bale.
must be carefully attended to. They tell
me that before my tims tho cotton seed
was sacrificed. 1t Is not so now. Cotton
seed is not only Of the highest Importance
10 us as food, but is demanded for export
and shipment. Tho money IN cotton rails
ng under present coalitions is In a care
'ul regard TO the minor products OF tho
,otton. Cotton seed makes che finest man
ire for sugar, and sugar lies contiguous
% our cotton plantations,
"As you are asking me these questions.
ina WOlll IKE 70 ttfNt your uthlIe 10 |
znow what cotton at the present state OF
he world Is. ! must tell you that | am
rot only planter or cotton. but farmer
II the widest application. The South Is
ltrnng, yet wiilful climate. The negro In
he labor factor In raising the cotton. lie
must be fed. Therefore. TO produce the .
,est results IN pork which he delights 10
'at. am constantly concerned about mix
ng the varieties OF hogs. Sometimes we
1in them up TO the very highest grrdea OF )
logs OF Imported and extraordinary stOnk J
Then we have to consider the earth. and
Is parent principle IN all their animal Z
he and suddenly breed back TO the COM !
honest variety, that the animal may not
lsappear In his idealism. II Is tic same :
gay with cattle. We use oxen as wnll
. mules TO pull our loads from the plan q
alton bottoms 10 the point Of shipment
NJ that has 90 be done with reference 20 Q
potential climate. We keep mares for Q
reedlng the mules. The sire does not
equlre as much attention as tbs female
aren't That Southern climate seems 10
ubslst hogs and cattle upon It's inhcnut I
trenrtl. and as food n Of such Import d
nee In feeding the labor and the animals =
! the cotton field. as Il r. right here IN /
lew York. we nave 70 think and act IN u
ANY directions. This year 1 haye,about {
J. 900 bushels OF corn 10 sell aftef feed {
* my droves Of hogs and my numerous =
zen. mules and cattle. J
I'm the South we have not us many rail- !