The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1902-05-22

in gathering the cotton crop has lon,
been dream, with most substantia
reasons why it should become q fact
Again and again an invention to tha
end has been announced, only to brinl
disappointment without destroying the
hope. The success of tic Campbell
picker must result in an cnormou.
economy i'll bringing tho cotton TO tho
GIN, one estimate being that it will
nearly halvc the expense, in the encour-
agement of more scientific methods in
cultiVatlng cotton, thereby permitting
I a greater area of land and greater hu.
man energy to be employed in the
raising OF other crops. OF special i'm
portanco, though, is the promise in the
invention of the release from the cot =
ton fields of Il great mass of labor into
other lines Of industry required for
the full development of Southern rc-
sources, and II wonderful change for
the better from present conditions, in
which the opening up OF timber tract
the extension of q railroad, the starting
OF cotton mill or the development OF
coal or iron mnne draws often nj the
most inopportune moment needed help
from the fields, or sudden rise i'm the
price OF cotton tends to attract needed
help from manufacturing undortak.
ings.
This balancing Of labor conditions is
likely to be accompanied by II balancing
of agricultural ones. The use of cotton
picking machines must tend to limit
cotton-srowing to sections where great
areas of land, devoted principally to
cotton, may be under one management,
as the use Of such II machine hy the
cultlVat0r OF one acre or ten acres
would hardly be economical, if posi-
bic. Hence might be expected in cot
ton-growing n radical change similar to
that induced by the adoption of ma.
chincry in the wide stretching wheat
llclds of the West. This change,
though, would injurc no small culLiva-
tor ready TO adapt himsclf to it. He
might lose if he should attempt to
compete with hand against the ma
chine. But If he should recognize and
take advantage Of the wider market
for foodstuifs and other products
created by the conversion of cotton
plckcrs INTO miners, lumbermcn, 0per-
atlycs and mechanics, he would better
himself considerably.
The saw gin created demand for
an extensive cultivation of cotton and
"n expansion OF siave-hoiiing. ii was
possible under the old system, for the
large cotton-growcr TO make enough
from cotton alone to justify dcpcn.
dcncc upon outside sources for The
bulk of his supplies, though many ,
wcll.managed plantation was Bclf-con
tanned. The destruction of the slave
labor system brought about an acces
sion of whites to the body Of indvidua
cotton-growcrs, forced, however, fo
the while to depart from the habit 0
living at home, and often unable /,
apply most approved methods to thcil
cotton culture. The labor difficulties
led them to the invention of devices
for the improvement Of mechanical
handling of the crop after it reached
the gin, eliminating in the round
baling process. Necessities, too, gave
an impetus 10 the movement for in.
creasing the amount Of cotton raised
per acre, and for Il return to the rails
ing Of home food crops. The invcn
ton of a successful cotton picker vii
complete tho chain of machinery, Civ
ing to the American cotton. grower al
advantage which may never be cqualcd
permitting him to enjoy all the bcs
results of long experience with tn
staple, a.d yet swelling the ranko 0
American productive labor. It is hopc'
this machine may be a success.