The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1899-11-08
FLOUR MILLS.

One of the most suggestive paper
prepared for the Huntsville convention
was thst of Mr.. w. E. Damon, of
| Nashville, Tenn, on hour-milling in
the South. He traced the decline /
Of fiour-milling III the fifteen Southern
States from the time, two decades ago,
when the revolution wrought by the
building of roller mills began. At
that time there were 1886 -four mills
in the South, representing $50 900 900
Of capital. The high price Of cotton
and the over-shadowing of burr mills
by the roller system fastened the de-
cline of the Southern milling business
until, it is estimated, it is new epre- |
scented by 5000 plants, notwithstand-
ing the fact that the population of the
South has, in the meantime, increased
more than one-third. OF those mills,
not more than $50 are to be found in
the nine cotton States. Mr.. Damon
contends that the South, which Is now
short on -four and long on cotton, is
able, not only to raise all the wheat
necessary for it's own consumption,
but also for export. He says
"For the encouragement of the
Southern farmer Z wish to say that the
average yield of wheat per acre in the
cotton States named is greater than in
the great wheat growing States of ILL
nois and the Dakotas. With approved
methods and appliances 1 feel safe III
asserting that no section of this coun-
try could surpass the South in this re-
speci. With the magnificent possi-
bilities afforded by the throwing open
of the ports of Cuba and Porto Rico
to American flour, to say nothing Of
the prospective opening of the Mica
} raguan canal, thereby making a route
by which 400 900, 900 hungry mouths
can be reached in the Oriert, the
South should be encouraged TO a revi-
: val of her lour-milling industry. The
, necessity of feeding her own people is
urgent. The opportunity of feeding
others is alluring. Nowhere in the
;, United States are there such openings
for flour mills as in the South, especially
I in the cotton-growing States. Already
V the farmers, firing of fve-cent cotton,
are turning their attention to wheat.
+ growing. Georgia farmers are produc.
ing forty bushels per acre. South
a Carolina is holding wheat conventions
ana will probably quairuple her crop
ihSlo 10 " SShSlc oWtSh)IluS xvi dlOuS
the line, and some of the Southern
States are building flour mills faster
than the old wheat-growlng States
n Not being overcrowded, the opportuni
o ties for profitable operation are good.'
IS The facts presented in Mr.. Damon
y paper are strong arguments in favor O
a an enlargement of an industry which
1t has for years been more profitable il
l the South than elsewhere. 1t will b,
g enlarged as the area devoted to whea
' increases in size. This urea need no
e encroach upon that devoted to cotton
except, perhaps, in some of the olde
n States, yet it will tend to make cotto1
u more profitable in reducing the cost 0
! its production, and certainly will ado
to the general wealth of the South
MIR. Damon, for instance, estimate,
that the cotton States, exclusive O
Texas, raises but a trife more thar
l. 5000 900 bushels of wheat with which
TO feed a population of Il, 900 900 per
d sons, who require the flour from 48,
ID 600 900 bushels of wheat. The ,lefci
must be supplied from other States a
n a cost of about $40, 900 900. If thi
'e could be saved to the South it woul,
;" be sufficient return for building fou
,e mills. But other advantages are to b
re considered. If small mills cf from
'e sixty to seventy.fy barrels dali
capacity should be built until the mum
Is Der in the South is in the same propor
" ton TO population as the number wa
in 1879, there would be nearly 500
e additional industrial establishments
employing 20 900 persons and contrib
uting to the support of at least thre
I times as maLy. The proposition ha
II evidently been studied by a few far
sighted men, and they, as we'll a
L" others who may embark in the enter
Is Prise, should be encouraged by an in
creasing number of wheat-growers.-
If Manufacturers Record.