The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1905-08-08
I + = 4 q So 80 y !. I. E#* Z !. /. 3 : !. J. : !. !. !. q,
! ms Il sunny SourHLanD.||
: SPECIAL CORRESPONDING TO THE FAlRMoNT j
+ WEST WRGNlAN. j
= SPY BON III. BUFFERS !
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THE GREAT STAPLE

of peoples. Imagine that field hun.
dreds OF miles in area, and then tuck
a few hundred thousand square
miles more, and let the Imagination
tire of It. for there Is nothing else In
existence with which II may be com.
pared.
This ls the esthetic side of the
cotton field. But the real side of 1t
is the tremendously practical one.
As a flower show, the cotton field of
the South is so big and overwhelm.
ing that few people notice II, The
people have something 10 think Of
besides flowers when the cotton field
is in blossom. Cotton requires to be
worked. Therefore every energy ia
devoted to keeping down the weeds
and "a blowing and c%ultivatlng, that
this flne.haired and particular king
of the agricultural world may not be
forced to struggle with plebian
weeds for subsistence. The fields
are kept like gardens. Yet the work
is not so great, Buchan keeps a
o!cse account of his operations, and
hnds that the 8 of planting and
working his cotton crop until the
cotton is ready to pick is about five
dollars an acre. Everything Is done
systematically. Plows and imple-
ments are thoroughly adapted for
cotton culture. There is no go as
you-please Indifference about the
t';age of the fields.
The labor of the cotton field is
quite generally colored. Men. wo.
men and children are engaged, some
driving the plow mules, some cut
ting u grass n weeds with hoes.
others doing the trlaing things avail
able for children; but all helping.
Thus cotton is the substance Of the
South. While other crops add their
share, and are produced in great
abundance, they are all su%bservient
to cotton. The Southern States
raise some sever or eight hundred
thousand bushels OF corn annually;
but 1t Is a crop for home consump.
ton. 1t goes to feed the mules that
work the cotton and the hands that
tend the fields. The South raises
wheat and. oats, and sweet potatoes,
pork and beef; but nearly all the
crop Is marketed at home that the
cotton crop may be promoted. Bust.
ness in the South thrIves on the va.
rious crops as elsewhere. The grfst
mills make meal and flour for local
trade. or the twenty States that
lead In the manufacture Of grist.mill
products. eight are Southern States.
Cotton not only employs the farmer
who raises cotton but also the farmer
who raises the other crops of feed
the cotton field workers. The cotton
crop occupies the merchant, whose
trade is in cotton, and supplies to the
cotton workers. Cotton occupies
the railroads and everything else.
There is no n crop anywhere In
the world that is SO much an indus.
trial factor as the cotton crop OF the
United States.
And there is no doubt that the
cotton field is destined to increase iu
size in the future as it has in the
past. With the exodus to the West
about ended, there is a likelihood
that the man in the North who is
looking for a 9 region to settle in
will turn his eye to the cotton fields.
He will make money If he does. for
cotton is a cash crop. and not a hard
one to raise.
BON H. BUTLER.
Southern Pines, N. G.