The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-06-06
COTTON CULTIVATION.

Mr.. John NJ. Parker of New Orleans
is quoted by the Manufacturers Rec
ord as saying that there has been less
improvement in cotton planting than
in any other farming; and he is doubt
less right. The system that is en-
ployed now is practically the same
as that followed before the war, not
withstanding the fact that present la
Dor conditions are vastly different from
those of the former times. New meth
DDS have been applied to the culti-
walton of wheat, corn and other crops
in the North and West, and improved
marhlnery and apparatus have in
creased the efficiency of farm labor
and the profits of the farmers of those
sections. Meanwhile cotton planting
has gone along in about the same
old way, with no departure worthy
of note.
But there are reasons for thinking
that an era of improved methods is
al handf President Hardy of the
Mississippi Agricultural College pre-
diets that it is a matter of only a
few years when the cotton farmers
will. be using as many improved agri-
cultural implements as any other class
of farmers in the country. There is
need for a larger cotton crop. The
demands of the world for the staple
have increased about 100000 bales a
year in twenty years and are stead
lily increasing. Since the worlds chief
source of supply is in the Southern
states, these states must take steps
to keep up with the demand. That
they will not be found wanting is
eral problems that will have to be
solved in increasing the cotton sup
ply, but none of theme is insolvable.
The greatest of these, probably, is
the labor problem. This, it is believed,
will be solved by means of the per-
fecting and using of labor-saving APP
paratus. and the incoming of immi-
grants from the North and West and
from Europe. The greatest demand
for labor is in the harvest season, as
at present all cotton is picked from
the bolls by hand. President Dabney
of the University of Tennessee pre-
diets that at an early day a practical
mechanical cotton harvester will be
placed on the market. Such ma
chine would at once come into gen.
eral use and the output of cotton would
be increased thereby, since each farm
er would be enabled to increase his
acreage with the assurance that he
could get his crop harvested.
There is no lack of acreage in the
South that might be devoted to cot
ton cultivation. The last census
showed that less than half of the
lands of the South were under culti-
walton. New fields will be opened ur
as they are needed. Meantime the
old fields and plantations may be
brought up to a much higher state oil
productiveness. Mr.. Edward Atkinson
lately expressed the opinion that the
production of the lands under cult.
walton may be increased fifty pei
cent. by improved fertilization and
cultivation. The Agricultural Depart.
ment, as we have noted on two oil
three occasions, is at present conduct.
ing experiments along new line Of
fertilization, by incubation of the
land with certain germs that gather
nitrogen from the air. Seeds to bt
planted are treated with a solution
containing these beneficial germs. Il
may be that this new fertillzing sys.
tenn will be found adaptable to cottor
growing; in which event Mr.. Atkin.
sons estimate of a so per cent in
crease of output on the same acreage
does not seem unreasonable.
/