Gainesville daily sun. (Gainesville, Fla.) 190?-1938, 1905-11-22
SEA ISLAND COTTON.

The Savannah Morning News is de-
voting much space to the Sea Islaud
cotton Industry, and on November 14th
has an article Of much interest on she
Improvement Of this staple, 10 which
il says that it il probable that che
growers Of Sea Island cotton at their
Valdosta convention will have q mat
ter before them Of 20 much importance
as that OF organizing for the purpose Of
holding cotton 90 as TO get a better
price for It. The matter in question is
that Of improving the cotton so as to
mAke the demand for 1t greater.
IL is stated that Of the 10000 bales
Of last years crop a good many thou.
pands Of bales we're carried over, be.
csnss there was no demand for IL, not
withdrawing the fact that the price
was low. The claim iS made thst the
Sea Island cotton Of Georgia and Flor.
ida is steadily, deteFiOTating, and that
IL is m UGH less in favor with spinners
than il was few years back. II seems
that In some instances YAnovitch, an
Egyptian growth, IL preferred to IL,
beCause the waste IL much less, and
also because the weight Of the baEgibg
IL deducted There was q time when
the growers OF SeS Island cotton in
Georgia and Florida kept up the grade
OF their cotton by means OF fresh seed
from the Sea Islands Of South Caro-
lima. They can no longer get seed
from that source. The planters OF she
Islsnds have combined TO prevent the
Georgia end FloFIda planteFs from get
ting fresh seed from them.
How then can the grade OF the cot
ton be improved? This ls a question
which the Federal government iS an
deFtaking TO answer through lie ex.
peFiments at the experiment farm It
has established near Blackshear, in
this State. On thiS farm there has
been q greet deal Of experimenting
with seed, EN- the oOncluS has been
reached that by means Of seed Selec.
ton q much better grade Of Sea leland
cotton can be grown, Indeed, the opin.
ion Ia held that the Sea Island cotton
planters Of Georgia and Florida can
make themselves entirely independent
Of the planters Of the Sea Islands by
v,nnUo - aaad saIno6tn,
Il 10 we'll known what has been done
In the cultivation Of corn by means OF
seed selection. The yield per acre has
been greatly increased. The same
thing can be done with Sea leland cot
ton that 10 grown In this State and In
Florida, Az q matter Of fact the plant
era IN she Sea ItlandS aFe very careful
10 selecting their seed from year TO
year. IL IL told that one planter on
the Islands, by very careful selection,
produces a cotton for which he finds a
ready market ct 70 cents q pound,
Probably there are planters OF Sea
leland cotton Ia Georgia and Florida
who do make an attempt OF seed Selec.
tion, but 10 10 doubtful u the great
majority Of them are o. careful 10 MAX
ing selections Of seed 30 they ought TO
be, Indeed Il IL . question u they 70.
allse the importance Of being extreme
ly6aFstul In picking out the very best
seed their tisldS afford. And Il IL
doubtful Il the Sea leland RroWeu-
that Il, those Of Georgia and Florida
believe that the demand for thelp cot
son 10 falling oa, lie probable that
they think that there Il q combination
against them for the purpose Of get
ting their cotton % q lover price.
IL may be true that there 10 q com.
blnatiOH 70 beat down che price, bat Of
that We know nothing. There % no
good reason Why the growers ShoUldR'l
organise for che p0rpoSe OF getting she
beat price possible for their product,
but while they are doing that they
ShOuldn'I neglect 70 improve their cot
Ton BY ell meNnS available. IL IaceE.
tain that seed selection will do more
than anything else 20 bring about en-
improvement, This 10 a matter that
ought 10 be and doubtless will be given
very careful confederation at the Val.
dosIa convention. 10 IL possible that
more can be done 10 raise the price TO- !
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