The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-10-21
LEAFLESS COTTON.
A Very tlshy Cotton Story that Comes
from Atlanta.

The Constitution says an Atlanta
farmer has created sensation in agri-
cultural circles by being waited on by
committee of South Georgians ap-
pointed by the farmers of that section
of the state TO buy from him the seed
from a crop of cotton. The price to be
paid for the seed is $4,000. The man
who raised and owns these valuable
cotton seed is Mr.. Jackson, we'll
known farmer. The unnatural part of
the offer to be made Jackson by the
committee from South Georgia is the
fact that the men who will buy the
seed do not wish TO plant them. On
the contrary, if they get poss ession of
the seed they will destroy them as
quickly as possible, taking care that
not single seed escapes. The com.
mittee called on Jackson Saturday,
but he was not at home and they have
not yet had an portunity to make
their offer.
The seed which the citizens of South
Georgia propose to buy are the only
ones of the kind in the world. There
are only twenty bushels of them and
the price to be paid will be about
81, 900 per bushel. Such price as that
for cotton seed was never heard OF be-
fore. Jackson has received hundreds
of offers for his seed, but even he was
surprised when he heard that a COM
mittee would wait on him for the pur-
pose of offering him as nigh as Sis, 600
| for his crop of seed. These seed have
history of kind that is unusually
interesting. Several years ago Mr..
Jackson was presented with them by
q Jew who had brought them from
the interior of Africa, from part OF
the dark continent on which the foot
of white men seldom treads.
The Jew had Joined an exploring
party which had started to the center
of Africa. He was wealthy and went
on the trip simply for the novelty OF
the experience. While in the very
middle of Africa the party came across
some cotton, the stalks of which were
over twenty feet in height. The gov
ernment botanist took the measure
from one of the stalks, and it was from
this stalk that the first seed came. The
Jew cut off about eighteen inches OF
the stalk, with a view of bringing it
to America. On the stalk were sixty
five bolls, the largest and finest ever
seen in this country. The seed were
we'll preserved by their original own
er and we're brought safely to Ameri.
ca. While on trip through the South
the man who had brought the seed
from Africa told of them and stated
that he would give them to some far
mer who would take care OF them:
Jackson was mentioned to him and
the Jew turned the seed over to him.
Jackson planted the seed and watch
ed their growth with fond eyes. lie
had heard how high the stalk from
which the seed were taken had been
and he determined to grow stalks
equally as high. His first crop was a
success. The stalks of the cotton grew
to an enormous height and at the time
the matter was mentioned in the Con-
stitution. This year when the time for
planting cotton came Mr.. Jackson de.
termined to give the seed severe test
and see if they would stand it. He
planted every seed in the poorest
ground on his entire farm and on the
west side of a hill. As is we'll known
to farmers, the west side of upland
ground always is very poor.
Though the land was unusually poor
and the year one of the worst cotton
years in the history of the South, the
cotton flourished and is still bloom
ling. Mr.. Jackson used nothing to en-
lrich the soil in which the seed were
planted. The test was severe one,
but Notwithstanding that fact, some
of the stalks are as high as seven feet.
j The cotton produced by these seed is
of the very finest quality and 1t is even
as fine as long staple cotton. Jackson
has been offered ten cents per pound
| for what he has raised this year, but
he has refused TO accept it and believes
he will be able to get IA cents for it.
| One of the peculiarities of this cot,
ton is the fact that it is leafless. When
the stalk grows up leaves begin to
sprout out on it and after they have
grown out for some distance the fruit
comes out from the stem of the leaf.
After the fruit has partially matured
the leaf drops off, leaving the stalk
perfectly leahess. This is the only
cotton of this kind ever heard Of in
this country and is causing no end of
comment among the farmers through,
out the South. The farmers of south
Georgia have sent their committee to
Atlanta to buy the seed from MIR.
Jackson, because they believe that ii
the cotton is planted throughout the
South they will be ruined beyond re-
pair.
They are of the opinion that il cot
ton will do so good under so severe a
test, when planted and cultivated !!
| will produce so much that cotton will
be so cheap that there will be no mon
ley in it for the farmer. Jackson says
that if the cotton is cultivated it will
produce at least two bales to the acre,
and possibly as much as four. lie
feels sure that he will be able to con-
vince the committee from south Geor
gia of fhe fact that the cotton will be
the greatest thing the South has ever
lseen or heard Of.
He says that with this cotton in use
lall over the south the farmer can re-