The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-03-17
BETTER THAN PROTECTION.
SEA ISLAND GROWERS SHOULD PRO-
DUCE A BETTER STAPLE.


The Use of Poor Seed False Economy
When Ii Results in the Production
of an Inferior CrOp-COngress Hav-
ing Declined TO Fix IA Duty on Inn
ports of Egyptian Cotton the Only
Policy For the Growers of Sea Is
land Is TO Produce IA Less Quantity
and a Better Quality.
The announcement that the Dingley tar
if bill, as completed, includes no protec-
ton for long staple cotton. was made in
! yesterdays Morning News. This bears
out the assertion heretofore made by the
cotton men in Savannah that the inter
est of the northern manufacturers would
be sufficient 10 prevent any duty upon i'm
ports Of Egyptian cotton without regard
| to whether a duty upon Egyptian cot
ton would be beneficial to the long staple
cotton growers
The Savannah cotton men are now in
position to say: Il told you So" The fail
ure of congress to impose duty on Egyp-
tian cotton is not regarded by them as a
serious matter. Some were opposed to the
duty, while others favored it as an expert
ment which might be beneficial, but which
would still be only experiment
Il do not know but it is a good thing
that no duty was imposed" said one who
had been favorable 10 a duty 1T might
nave done some good. but the immediate
result would have been to largely increase
the acreage, which is just what we
nave been urging the long staple cotton
planters not to do The planters. many
OF them, looked at it that a duty OF 5
cents pound on Egyptian cotton meant
that they would get cents a pound more
for their cotton than they have received
for the present crop, and at such prices
there would be big money in the business
for them. With such ideas In mind they
would have planted their backwards and
all the other available land. Other plant
ers would have gone into the business
and the result would have been a tremcn-
dous crop with the lowest prices ever
Known. 1t is to be regretted that we can
not go ahead increasing our acreage in
long staple cotton with a gradual increase
in production every year until the availa-
BILE territory is taken up, but this does
not seem to be possible under present con-
dltions. What we have had to contend
against Is large crops, affording a supply
| greater than the demand. The last crop
Is over 100000 bales, the largest ever
known, the previous crop of $1,000 bales
| being the largest to that time. For the
present we must content ourselves with a
| smaller crop and a better staple, the
prompt result of which would be better
| prices
The cotton factors i'm Savannah, prin-
| cipally interested in the business are
thoroughly agreed upon one thing, and
| that is the necessity for the planters of
sea island or long staple cotton, to use
! good seed if they expect to get a good
| price for next years crop.
The seed used in growing the Georgia
| and Florida" long staple cotton is OBJ
| tanned from the sea island planters and
needs to be replenished every three or
four years, the quality of the staple de-
! teriorating with each years use of inland
grown seed. After the third or fourth
| year the seed is practically worthless and
| unless the farmer secures new seed he
| has little prospect of producing a cotton
which is really long staple. The present
| crop is said to be the poorest ever pro-
duced, as regards staple, which accounts
TO large degree for the low prices OBJ
tanned.
The factors have had great difficulty in
| disposing of 1t, and on this account are
| now urging the farmers to secure new
| seed for the next crop. The poor staple
of the present crop is attributed to two
| things, partly to poor seed and partly to
the long hot spell in August, which caused
the bolls to open before they were fully
matured. The same conditions which pro-
| duced poor staple, the factors argue,
must have produced poor seed and if the
! farmers use this poorly matured and al
| ready deteriorated seed they have great
| fears as to the future of the next crop.
| With long staple cotton quality is every
! thing. Had the quality of the present crop
| been up to the average of previous years,
| the factors say, it could have been dis
posed of much more rapidly and for much
better prices than have been obtained
The farmers are very 10th to buy new
| seed, however. The factors have found
it to be the case that where low prices
have been received one year the farmers
will buy very little new seed for the next
year, preferring to economize in every di-
| rection The factors have endeavored to
teach the farmers the false economy of
| this policy, but with very little success.
| The farmers can buy seed at home from 25
to so cents bushel, whereas the new seed
cost them $3.50 a bushel.
Suppose the seed cost the farmer 81 a
| bushel,' said a factor. "Iie can take
this seed and make one-third more to the
acre of a staple which will bring much
better price than if he had used the old
seed. In addition he will have eight
bushels of seed for eacn bushel planted.
| which he can dispose of at so cents a
bushel, thus getting 81 for what cost him
only 81. He can double his money on the
seed alone, and the extra profit on the
better QudilNy anu larger quantity OF Sta-
pie is so much clear above what he would
have made with the cheaper seed. Very
few farmers can appreciate this sort of
| economy, however and because they have
not made any money this year they are
not willing TO go to the expense of getting
good seed for the next crop"
In the circulars, which the factors are
sending out to their customers in the
country, they are urging very strongly
the necessity for replenishing the supply
| of seed.
1.-The production of a first-cass staple
is of more Importance to the sea island
| planters and to Savannah than a protect
i've duty" said one factor. Protective
duty might prove of advantage and II
might not, but there is no doubt of the
advantage in producing a good staple. The
way for the cotton planters of the south
both of uplands and sea islands, to es-
tabish themselves is by producing the
very best quality of cotton possible. The
plan of reducing the acreage is a doubt
| ful one, and cannot be relied upon perma-
| nenty. AS Mr. Shepperson states In his re-