The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-04-23
Mir. LoveII's Visit.

Mfr. LOvell's Visit.
 John Ouitman Lowell. of Baltimore, President of the Baltimore Fidelity Warehouse Company. passed through Washington today on his way home af- ter an interesting trip through the Southern States of the cotton belt, and is enthusiastic over the business oppor- tunities in that region. He left Balti- more early in April. going first to Birmingham, where he visited rela- tives. He then went to the Palmyra plantations, comprising the old Quit man estate of over 5000 acres on the Mississippi river and adjoining the plantations once owned by Jefferson Davis and his brother Joseph. The Palmyra plantations have been in Mir. kLovell's family something like one hundred years.
 Speaking of the care of cotton and kindred subjects, MT. Lowell said:
 Tn Birmingham saw cotton stored in the middle of the streets, entirely unprotected from the weather or dust or dirt or sparks from locomotives. It is piled right on the ground. and carts and vehicles have to make their way through the spaces between the bales For this kind of storage the owners pay the city 25 cents a bale q month and, in addition, 1t costs them 24 cents insurance a bale, so that the real cost of pillng up the bales on the city streets Is 49 cents bale. Prepa rations are being made for the estab- lishment of a large warehouse there similar to what we have in Baltimore of the Baltimore Fidelity Warehouse Company.
 what about the cotton crop? Cotton is just beginning to come up. I did hear some talk about a reduction of acreage this year. but I know little about what 1t amounts to. There was also talk about less fertilizers am afraid this cold weather will much in- terfere with the cotton crop this year. Last year was Ideal for cotton growing The weather was perfect and things moved along very smoothly. This year things have /becn different. There have been many setbacks.
 Tt was truly said in a recent maga- zine article that of all agricultural producers the cotton farmer is the most culpable in his prodigal waste of everything connected with his crops have seen evidence of 1t in abundance know that the cotton producers neg lect opportunities. and their disregard of method, and indifference to small economies and 'upkeep' of plant and equipment are surpassing examples or improvidence. The average farmer buys new implements to condemn be- fore giving them proper trial. or else allows them to be damaged through neglect. He makes his cotton and lets 1t invite certain damage by care less preparation for transportation, or alIc 1t to stand on damp ground without protection.
 My brother. who owns one of the Palmyra plantations. Is making an ef- fort to overcome these old disastrous practices. Steam blowing is an inter esting innovation. A large traction en- zine with broad tired driving wheels. heavy lugged, pulls gangs of disc blows, three discs to the gang The re- suit has been most satisfactory. and whites and blacks from far and near come to see the novelty.
 T might remark that careful culti- vation will increase the production of cotton, which. with the present range of the market is too large. But cot ton may be made profitable not only by more attention to details of econo- my. but by intelligent corporation of cotton growers to the end pressing the government commissions and agents to obtain a larger demand from China and Japan. Then We would hear little of surplus l believe in the stability of cotton property. The Palmyra planta- tions have been in our family a hum dred years and have had no owner out side, a record you seldom find for any