The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1904-02-24
The Future of Cotton.

The sensational movements IN
the cotton market has set to
talking every one interested,
even though but remotely, in
the production, sale, and manu-
facture of the staple of the
South. And a large part of this
feverish talk has been colored
with a fear that the United
States will slowly lose her posi-
ton as the chief cotton producer
of the world. The worlds con-
sumption is increasing; during
the last five years our cotton
crops have been short. Partly
in consequence of our inability
to supply the demands of their
markets, England and other con-
sumers have been making efforts
to develop the growing Of cotton
in parts Of Asia and Africa. The
alarmists point out that there is
danger Of these new fields SO in
creasing in extent as to crowd
the American product off Euro
pean markets.
But there seems to be little
foundation for this fear. It is
true that the production of these
new fields is increasing, bnt it is
also true that it is not increasing
as rapidly as the worlds con-
sumption. For years to come
there is likely to be no decrease
in Europe's demand upon Amer
lean cotton.
Furthermore, there is no foun
dation for the fear that we can
not increase our production from
year to year to keep pace with
the worlds consumption. Pres
ident J. G. Hardy, of the Missis-
sippi Agricultural and Mechani-
cal College, writing in the South
ern Farm Magazine, declares
that the future of cotton in this
country is safe. The Southern
farmers have been slow to adopt
improved machinery, he says,
and this is one reason that the
production of cotton has not in
creased more rapidly. However,
sit is only a question now of a
few years when the cotton farm
ers will be using as many i'm
proved agricultural implements
as any class Of farmers in the
land
"With a few more improve
ments that are sure to be made,
the cotton picker will be an en-
tire success. Several pickers
have been in operation this sea-
son, and our textile school has
demonstrated that the cotton
mill machinery has no trouble in
removing the extra trash gath.
cred by the picker. The cot
ton picking machine can be
run at night as well as in
the daytime, which will enable
the farmer to operate a double
force of hands and save the
great loss of cotton caused by
bad weather. With the improved
disc plows that are being made,
by which one man and team
can break six acres day; with
the improved cultivators, by
which one man can do the work
of three, and with the cotton
picking machine q practical sue
cess, by which one man can pick
six bales a day, there is no limit
to our increase in the production
of cotton, even though our indus
trial development along other
lines calls for large number OF
additional men who are now do
ing agricultural work.
"The South can increase and
will increase her production not
only by more intelligent selection
of seed, not only by improving
the fertility of her soil by every
scientific and available method,
not only by the Improvement of
the intelligence and skill of her
laborers, not only by the use of
more and more improved agri.
cultural machinery, but by the
opening up Of new lands to give
employment to thousands who
are coming from other sections,
as well as to our fast increasing
population.
':To realize the vast possibili-
ties for expansion along this
line one has only to examine the