The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-04-30
CAN RAISE BROWN COTTON.
NANKEEN COTTON STILL GROWN IN
THE SOUTH.

Was Commonly Grown Before the
War and Was known as "The
ColOred Peoples Crop"-A GeOr-
gia Lady in Richmond Sent the
Morning News Sample and Sug-
gests That 1t Might BE Used for
Khaki-The Cloth Is Very Strong
and Never Fades-Mr. Il. A. Cults
Gives Some Information on the
Subject.
The Morning News recently published
an interview with Savannah cotton fac
tor, discussing the relative merits of sea
island and Egyptian cotton In which the
statement was made that it had been
found impossible to grow Egyptian cotton
in the South successfully for the reason
that the chief merit of this cotton was in
its yellowish or brownish tinge while the
lands of the South would only produce
white cotton.
A Savannah lady. residing in Richmond,
Va, takes issue with the Morning News
informant on this question, and sends the
Morning News sample of nankeen cot
ton grown in Houston county in this
state in the sixties. The color of the sam
though slightly intermixed with white
cotton. The correspondent states that this
cotton was commonly grown in the South
before and during the war and was known
as the colored peoples crop" This was
because the colored people were not al
lowed to plant the white cotton to save
them from the temptation of adding to
their stocks from the crops of their mas
tiers, 1t was customary with the slave
owners to allow Their negroes to have
patches" around their houses in which
they planted whatever they chose and by
means of which the Industrious ones
sometimes made neat sums for them
selves They were allowed time in which
to work their crops and the masters fur
nished them with bagging and transport
ed their cotton to market
Il have never heard of any one plant
ing this cotton since the war;" says the
correspondent. THE yield of the plant
quite equals that of the white cotton,
and it is sold for a higher price but
there was not the same demand for il.
The cloth made from nankeen cotton is
very strong and never fades. 1t would
make first rate khaki, as 1t would not
need to be dyed"
This latter suggestion might prove of
value in view of the large
demand at present for khaki
cloth, because of it's general use
for military purposes and the popularity
given 1t with the general public as re-
suit. A slight investigation reveals the
fact that nankeen cotton is still grown
in the South to some extent, though in
scattered localities, and is seldom sent
to market in sufficient quantities to make
a bale. 1t is usually mixed in with badly
stained or tinged cotton and sold as such,
hri nj Varf harl
the whittier grades
The nankeen cotton, or rather the cloth
of that NAME gets It's name from Nan
kin, China, where it was first manufac-
tured. Webster's Dictionary gives the
following definition of nankeen; "A spe-
ture, originally brought from
China, made of a species of cot
ton (Gossoypsium religiosum) THAI is nat
urally of a brownish yellow color, quite
indestructible and permanent"
Mr. r. A Cults, who does a very large
cotton brokerage business at Savannah,
was seen in reference TO the nankeen cot
ton question. "In the first place. said
Mr. Cults, 81 do not think the expert
ment of growing Egyptian cotton in this
country has ever been thoroughly tried.
The idea that only white cotton can be
grown in the South is undoubtedly an err
ror. / remember some years since ouy-
p
of Fl. M. Conner & Co The green was
not a stain, but was the natural color of
the cotton, due doubtless to some prop
erty in the soil.
'It has been some time since 1 left the
cotton fields" said Mr.. Cuts, land my
recollec4ions are rather indstinct. l re-
member however that a good deal Of
nankeen cotton was raised and that il
was spoken of as the colored people S
cotton, for the reason assigned by your
correspondent l am uncertain whether
the nankeen was a separate variety or
whether the color was due to some prop
erty of the soil, Consequently, ! am I'M
able to saysirwhether the nankeep
rs reproduced&&etm its own~seed. am
somewhat doa1fhl of this. as the farmers
co not lcok upSn the brown cotton with
favor because it must be sold as stained at
a lower price tina the white. / get few
bales Of the nankeen every year In any
large Let of stained cotton there is likely
to be a. few bal s of nankeen, usually
mixed with stained cotton. The stains. a s
we call them, are bought by the manufsc-
turers for dye goods"
Mr.. Cults said that he had no doubt
that if there were any demand for colored
cotton, number of shades and varieties
could Is developed. The entire effort of
tho cotton growers, however, since the
war he said, has been IN the direction of
producing the best grades of the white
staple, these being in chief demand and
commanding the best prices.
Speaking of the crop situation generally,
Mr.. Cuus said that the foods which have
prevailed in several states, and the heavy
rains generally, throughout the cotton
belt would undoubtedly tend TO diminish
this years crop. while the damage
done by floods in Alabama Mississippi
and Texas is considerable" he said, "the
chief diminution i'm the crop win come
from the fact that the heavy rains have
caused the planters TO be very much be-
hind with their work. This means late
crop and should there be an early fall
the yield will be very materially reduced.
At this time last spring the cotton In this
section was up and had been chopped.
Now the farmers have not finished plant
ing, and there is very little cotton out of
the ground. There is some complaint of
scarcity of seed, especially for replonting,
the farmers having sold more largely than
usual to the oil mills because of the high
prices Of seed. ! do not attach much inn
portance 20 this. however, as nearly every
farmer is likely to have sufficient seed
left I'm his ginhouse for replanting. A
great deal of fertilizers has been sold.