Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-04-02
COTTON PLANTING IN AFRICA.
1t Begins to Look Like the German
Experiment In q Failure.

1t Begins to Look Like the German
Experiment In a Failure.
The German Colonial Economic socie-
ty Of Berlin, says an Atlanta, Ga,
dispatch OF Friday, has issued an elab-
crate report of the work Of the exper-
mental cotton plantation in Togo,
West Africa, managed by ]. N. Gallo
way and three young Negroes from
Booker Washington's school at Tus-
keegee, Ala. The following is an abb
stract from Superintendent Calloway's
statement to the society, which Is In
cluded in the reporta
"Our planting covered six months
time, but can be divided into two pc
riods from Marc to June and from
July to August. The rainy season be-
gan in March, but was very light at
first. On March II, we planted our
first American cotton. about one and
half acres. This sprouted quickly
and grew nicely. After one month 1t
was a foot and a half high. April
brought frequent, light rains. 1t was
good month for planting. During
this month we planted IL acres OF
American cotton. In May 20 acres
were planted. The rain during May
was very heavy, but did not injure the
growth of the plants. In four days OF
July rains came. The bolls OF the ear
ly crop were entirely destroyed. The
plants rusted and the bolls rotted with
out opening. Only two bales Of cotton
were harvested from the seed planted
before July; much more perished In
the field.
I'm the months Of July and August
20 acres were planted with American
and Egyptian cotton. September and
October had less rain, but clouds and
fog continued. By the end Of October,
there was more sun and higher tenn
perature. Seed planted in July and
August produced in December what
would in America be called half a crop.
A small area was planted in October,
but with little success, as rain ceased
to fall soon after. In these expert
ments we used native, American Cup
land and Sea Island) and Egyptian
seed. Next year Peru seed was used.
Part of the seed sown was American.
1 believe that by planting the seed In
late summer and thus avoiding the
heavy rains good results can be OBJ
tanned with American cotton. 1t is
probable. too, that better results can
be obtained by using cotton seed or ar
tifcial fertilizers. I am Of the opin-
ion that by crossing native with Amer
lean cotton a variety adapted to the
colony can be secured. One hundred
acres of land in all were cultivated.
Up to the end Of December, % bales Of
cotton were in readiness to ship.
Thirteen Of these were from native
seed, nine from American seed and one
from Egyptian seed. The natives
grow cotton as a secondary product
with yams. There is sufficient good
cotton land. In native cotton the pro-
portion between lint and seed was 1,SOo
pounds of seed cotton to bale OF 500
pounds. The crop from American seed
showed the same proportion as In
America, /. e., 1,5O0 pounds seed cotton
to the bale. By midsummer all
draught animals were dead. Expert
ments should be continued with native
horses. After our animals died, 1t was
necessary to depend on native labor for
everything and natives drew the bales
Of cotton to the coast in lumber wag-
ons. Portable engines should be in
troduced to furnish power for ginning
and baling, (and a railroad should be
quilt from the coast inland. Our ex-
perience has given us every reason to
believe that in a few years it will be
possible to export many thousand
bales Of cotton from the colony to To-
go. This will not have any effect on
the markets of the world but it will be
of advantage to Germany and espec-
tally to the two and a half millions OF
people in the colony.
Under present conditions the cost OF
a 5O0-pound bale of cotton delivered at
Bremen, including ginning, pressing