Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-10-25
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AMERICAN COTTON.
Origin and Development of Produce

|
Origin and Development Of Produc.
ton In the South.
1921 The cotton plant had been found
growing in a wild state by the first set.
tiers Of the southwestern portion Of oul
country, but the year 1921 is generally
regarded as the first year Of cotton cul.
ture in the United States. Seed, proba.
bly, from the Levant or the East Indies
was planted as an experiment, and its
plentiful coming up was at that early
day a subject of interest in America
and England.
It's cultivation was for long time
limited to small patches for domestic
use. Among a list Of articles growing OF
to be had in the Virginia Colony in 1921
cotton wool is mentioned; value, Sd pei
pound, flax Sd.
But cotton planting in Virginia never
reached large proportions. Tobacco
growing was found to be more prof1ta-
ble Labor was scarce and dear, so that
the cost of handcleaning. or separating
the fibre from the seed by hand, before
a gin was invented, exceeded the mar
ket value Of the cotton so cleaned
From Virginia the culture extended
northward to Maryland, Delaware
Pennsylvania, and even New Jersey
down to the time Of the Revolutionary
war.
1888. Cotton seed was brought into
Carolina by Peter Purry, who settled a
colony Of Swiss near Purrysville: but,
from previous mention made, 1t is evil
dent that some kind Of cotton preceded
his planting.
1874. About this time cotton was
planted in Georgia from seed sent to the
trustees from England. In deposition
taken in London in 1889 for the use of
the trustees of the Georgia grant it is
stated that the climate Of Georgia Is
very healthy, and the climate and soil
very fit for raising silk, wine and cot
ton, all of which produces may be
raised by white persons without the aid
of Negroes"
1741 A sample Of Georgia cotton was
taken to England.
1742 In Louisiana cotton culture
must have already become quite exten-
sive, for we find that in this year a
planter Of that state, Mr.. Dubreuil, in
vented a machine for separating the
seed from the fibre; probably only an
adjustment of rollers. 1t greatly stim-
ulated planting in that colony.
1747. During this year several bags
of Carolina cotton were exported from
Charleston.
| 1853. We find the first cotton pre-
MUM recorded. A liberal citizen Of Del
aware offers "e4 for the most and best
cotton off an acre"
ITO. Shipments to Liverpool, ten
bales from Charleston, three bales from
New York, four bags from Virginia and
three barrels full from North Carolina.
About this year southern planters be-
gan turning their attention to the cul-
tivation of cotton as staple crop.
ITS. The first manufactory for cot
ton, flax and wool was established m
Philadelphia. Throughout the Revolu-
tion this factory was supplied with ma
tive cotton at two shillings per pound.
The state Of the Colonies during that
period was very similar to that OF the
south during our late war; that they
were almost entirely dependent on for
eign manufactures was shown by the
destitution of the people and the armies.
The ragged condition Of the American
soldiers and officers Is well-known.
Even when Washington's army was
partially clothed, it was in English
cloth brought to America by way or
Holland.
1884. About IA bales of American cot
ton were shipped to England, of which
eight bales were seized in Liverpool as
| improperly entered, on the ground that
so much cotton could not have been
produced in the United States. and this
was more than $50 years after the first
importation into England of cotton
grown in this country.
1887. The first regular cotton factory
in the United States was built In this
year at Beverly, Mass, "for carding,
rowing and spinning cotton by machtn-
cry" The legislature made grant or
$500 to assist the new enterprise. In
1889, General Washington visited this
factory.
1871. The average value of the cot
ton exported this year was 26 cents per
pound; the crop Of the United States
was about four thousand five hundred
of our present sized bales, Of which
three-fourths were grown in South Car
olina and one-fourth in Georgia. About
one-t tenth of the crop was exported.
1893. This is a memorable year in the
cotton trade, made so by Eli Whitney's
invention Of the saw-gin. He was then
living in Georgia. had no mechanical as
sistance and only the rudest of tools.
He even had to make his own wire by
hand. Before this. the old-fashioned
| roller gins were the best machines for
cleaning cotton; previous to them, the
bowstring had been used for beating up
and cleaning, while earlier still the only
| method of detaching the fibre from the
seed was by the tedious process of pick
ing with the fingers, that being the
evening task of many members of a
planters household in the olden time
Whitney's gin was patented in 1794.
The word gin is an abbreviation of en-
gine.
1896. The second cotton mill in the
In, ISln nd