Natchitoches populist. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1898-1899, 1898-12-09
'E'ElG leaks On the Farm.
ITO the Caucassian. |

The newspapers are filed with
long editorials telling the farmers
how to tide over the dull times
and bring prosperity to their
doors. Many farmers rise up to
explain a way, by which the coun-
try may be brought to better con-
ditions. Some say, raise more
hog and hominy; some say, diver
sify the crops; others say, work
more and consume less, but not
a word has been said about the ex-
pense attached to the business end
of farming. The leaks at that end
are as great as at any other past
stage or condition of farm life. I
will point out one only, at this
writing, and that one is the pres
ent system of marketing the great
staple crop, cotton. No one will
attempt to tell the farmer how they
may save to themselves, part Of
the profits OF the others, when
they think it may in some way in
terfere with somebody eIse's bust
ness. The farmers sustain a loss
with each succeeding year OF mill
ions of dollars through the present
method of bailing and marketing
cotton. Think Of it, in this AGE
of progress, that the farmers still
cling to the old and unsigbtly FIVE
and six hundred pound bales of
cotton to be rolled through the
mud to town and dragged from the
field to the factory, losing in
weight, with a heavy loss of 6 per
cent in tare. Think Of what an
enormous crop is harvested in the
city of New Orleans alone, to say
nothing about other cotton towns.
60 to the factories and see the
of your cotton when it
reaches its destination. Every
pound of cotton lost and all the
tare deducted, together with all
the expense of reaching the facto-
~, come cut of the producer. All
OF this is dead loss to the farm
crs, to say nothing about other
useless expenses, such accrue
through a long line of close corpo-
ratlons, through whose hands our
cotton must pass before it can reach |
its final destination.
At the National Alliance, held
at Ocala. Fla, / offered a resolu-
ton which passed that body, re-
commencing TO the ginner every
where the adoption of what was
known then as the block bale. put
up in 100 to 100 pounds, covered |
with cotton sacks and tied with !
No. % wire.
As soon as this resolution was
made known, the cotton sharks, |
he. compress people and all who
nave grown rich tolling the cotton,
raised a howl through the public
prints, and very soon caused the
farmers to believe they could not
market their cotton in any other
way save through the old system
If large bales.
This is the age of progress.
Why not the farmers catch on and
out in place the Lowry press.
which puts more cotton in the bale
o the square inch than the best
compress made. This bale rarely.
/ ever, exceeds $50 pounds, saves
he expense of COMPRISING and
enables the farmers and local mer-
chants to ship their cotton direct
rom the field to the factory, with
'ut unloading. Ibis new bale will
axe tho cotton out of the hands
II the cotton sharks and specula-
ors.
Zoo much cannot be said in ia
'or Of the Lowry press. A news
,aper article is too short to give in
Ietall all the advantages accruing
y the use Of the new process of
FALLING cotton. Let it suffice to
ay that not less than $3.50 per
'ale will be saved to the farmers
n expenses alone, to say nothing
bout the advanced prices received
y the producer.
] repeat. the present cumbersome
ystem of handling and marketing
otton cost the farmers by far more
han any other one thing in our bu-
mess which can he saved by the
sc of a more rational and bust
ess like method of preparing our
otton for the market. 1t is true
ne money supply is too short to
leet the demands Of the country.
,nly limited amount of money
J used In moving the cotton crop.
Mr.. Chas. Ross of Hermanes