The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1897-04-09
WONDERFUL SEED.
A Georgia Farmers Strange Crop
of Cotton.
The Seed of 1t Worth More to BE De-
stroyed Than for Planting Because,
ParadoxicaI a. 1t May Seem,
1t Is Too Prolific.

1t Is Too Prolific.
An Atlanta farmer mas Greats d a sen
sation in agricultural circles 10y BEN
waited on by committee of south
Georgians appointed by the farmers pf
that section of the state to buy from
him the seed from crop of cotton.
The price to be paid for the seed is
$4,000. The man who raised and own,
the valuable cotton seed is Mr.. jackson,
a Well-known farmer, who lives or and
cultivates the farm of Tax Collector
Stewart. The citizens of south Georgia.
are not the only persons who az
anxious to become owners Of the cot
ton seed. Other men throughout the
state have made offers almost as fiat
tering. all of which have been refused
by jackson.
The unnatural part Of the offer to
be made Jackson by the committee
frCm 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 possession of the seed they Will
destroy them as quickly as possible,
taking care that not a single seed es-
capes. Such price as that for cotton
seed was never heard of before. Jack
son has received hundreds of offers for
his seed. but even he was surprise
when he heard that committee woulu
wait on him for the purpose of offer
ing him as high as SIS. 900 for his crop.
The seed has a history of kind that
is unusually interesting Several years
ago Mr.. Jackson was presented with
them 10y a jew who had brought them
from the interior of Africa, from Il 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 or
Africa. He was wealthy. and went on
the trip simply for the novelty of the
experience. When in the very middle
Of Africa the party came across some
cotton, the stalks of which were over
20 feet in height The government bot
anist who was along with the party
took the measure of one of the stalks,
and il was from this stalk that the
first seed came. The Jew cut off about
l. inches of the stalk with view to
bringing ii to America. ON the stalk
We're % bollS. the largest and finest ever
seen. The seeds were well preserved
10y their original owner. and weIc
brought safely to America. While on
"a 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 farmer who would take
care of them. jackson was mentioned
10 him. a al the jew turned the seed over
TO him
Jackson planted the seed and watched
its growth with fond eyes. lie had
heard how high the STALKS from which
the seed were taken had been. and hc
determined to grow stalks equally a.
high. His first crop was Il success. Tho
stalks of the cotton grew to an enor-
nous height.
This year when the time for planting
cotton came Mr.. jackson determine
to give the seed a severe test to Sc,
if it would stand it. He planted ever
seed in the poorest ground on his eHtir.
farm on the west side OF hill. As i.
we'll known to farmers, the west sad,
upland ground is always very poo.
Though the land was unusually roe
and the wear one of the worst cottU..
years in the history of the south. til
cotton fiouTished- MIR. Jackson used
nothn" to enrich the soil in which
the seed was planted. The test was -
severe one. hut. Notwithstanding that
fact, some of the stalks are as high a:
seven feet.
The cotton produced by this seed Is
of the very finest quality, and l.
even as fine as long staple cotton. .Iacl-
son has been offered ten cents per pound
for what he has raised this year. but IA.
has refused to accept it and believe
he viii be able to get II cents for il.
One of the peculiarities =: this cot
ton is the fact that 1T is leamrss. WhCE
the stalk grows up leaves begin to
sprout cut on il, and after they have
grown out for some distance the fruit
comes out from the stem of the leaf
After the fruit has partially maturcd
the leaf drops off, leaving the stalk per
fectly icaiieSs. This is the only cotton
of this kind ever heard of IN this couE.
try. and is causing no end of commcn;
among the farmers throughout the
south
The farmers of south Georgia have
sent their committee to Atlanta to bu,
the seed frcm Mr.. jackson. because the.
believe that if the cotton is PLANTED
throughout the south they viii L,
ruined beyond repair. They are of tn.
opiT 'on that if cotton viii do 50 We.
under so severe Il test. hen IantCd an,
cultivated ii will produce so much TIA:
cotton viii be SO cheap that there viii
be no money in il for the farmer.
jackson says that if the cotton i
cultivated il viii roduce at least two
bales to the acre, and possibly rs much
rs four. He -els sure that he VIII Ic
able to convince the committee
from south Georgia of the fact that
the cotton viii be the greatest thiro
the south has ever seen or heard of
lie says that with this cotton in use
all over the south the farmer can r.
ra-Se more cotton then than he IL Tait-
ing now The land that he does not use
for cotton can lie put to q Irci taLleusc
and the income of the farmer viii lie
doubled as compared with the amount
of labor employed in the raising of cot
ton.
jackson does not much like the idea
of having the seed destroyed. but will
sell Il to the south Georgia committee
if they yill pay him a large enCu~h
price for it. If he refuses the offer of
$4,000 he viii have the consolation of
knowing that he has been offered the
highest price ever before offered
cotton seed.-Atlanta Constitution
Gave Herself Away.
Lady (in pursuit of a cook)-Why did
you leave your place?
Cook-I couldn't stand the dreadful