The Tupelo journal., 1906-07-06


to the manufacture OF paper from the
cotton stalk should be of interest to
Mississippians, especially where cotton
is the principal crop. Could a plan be
devised whereby our cotton stalks could
be utilized and made to bring some
thing to the farmer it would be of great
benefit to our people:
"That paper can be manufactured
from cotton stalks, and at a good mar
| gin of profit, has been demonstrated by
practical experiments. 1t has been
| furthermore demonstrated that the
stalk of the plant can be converted into
a very satisfactory quality OF cotton
bagging.
These discoveries are of the utmost
Importance to the South. They open a
new avenue of profit from the cotton
crop, and it may be predicted with con-
siderable assurance hat the day is not
far distant when the South will be
dotted with factories engaged in this
form of enterprise.
1t is estimated that the value OF the
cotton crop will be increased fifty mill
lion dollars by these discoveries, and
| that a product heretofore regarded as
mere wastage will be turned to good
account. Paper mills and bagging fac
tories will inevitably come, and the
| Southern farmer will be beseiged for
his stalk crop just as he is now sought
| after by the agents for his seed crop"
In speaking of the discovery the Cot
ton Journal says:
1T has already been demonstrated by
practical experiments that the fibre OF
the whole cotton plant, including the
stalks and limbs, is almost as strong as
| the fibre of the wax plant. This will
prove interesting and valuable news to
| those cotton planters of the South who
each year are forced to expend so much
time and labor in getting the dead
stalks of the previous crop out OF the
way for the planting of the new crop.
With the establishment of paper mills
throughout the South for the purpose
| of converting this heretofore waste
product into a valuable and useful COM
mercial commodity, the growers will
not only receive cost of labor for re-
moving the stalks from their fields but
a profit from the new industry as well.
The samples of paper already made
from the fibre of the dead stalks has
proven to be stronger and better than
paper made from wood pulp, and -
| strong and durable as linen paper.
The wood pulp paper mills cannot sue
cessfully compete with the cotton stalk
paper mills, owing to the cheapness
| with which the stalks can be secured,
and the better class of material they
turn out.
"More than 5000, 900, 900 are invested
in the paper manufacturing industry of
the United States, but nearly all the
| mills are located in the East and North
west where the raw material used is the
| spruce pine which grows in those sec
| tions. However, it is believed that the
recent discovery of the value of cotton
| stalk fibre will result in the develop
ment Of a new industry in the South
which will bring about the investment
of much idle capital and add many mil
| lions of dollars to the wealth of this sec
ton of the country.
"This, if successful, would prove a
paying enterprise for Greenville. The
rich fertile soil of the Delta produces
large cotton stalks whose fibre is very
| strong and will make the finest quality
of news stock.
again, the cotton wood forests along
the Mississippi would also furnish a
quantity of paper pulp and should in
sure the success of such an enterprise"
An encouraging sign of the times
comes occasionally in the cloud of law
breaking that seems to pervade the
State just at this time. A glorious re-
vival of religion has just been closed at
Water Valley in which 500 known con-
versions were recorded. Many mem
bere of the various churches were re-
instated and are not included in this
number. This is a good sign indeed.
Without the churches our country
would soon degenerate into a land of
savages and there has been too much of
a tendency to get away from the good
Old-time religion that was good enough
for our fathers" 1t seems though that
the people of Water Valley have awak-
ened to the proper sense of their duty,
and it is safe to predict that blind tigers
will be fewer around there and crime
in general will decrease to a large eG-
tent. There is a power for good in All
old-time revival hat can be found no
where else. Let us sincerely hope that
the good will be lasting.
The Patrons Union will hold its reg
ular meeting at the grounds near Lake
from July 80 to August 3, inclusive. A
program of unusual brilliancy and merit
has been prepared for this year and the
attendance will likely be larger than
ever before in the history of the or
ganization. The organization is the
oldest of its kind in the State and has
done great good for the section imme-
diately adjacent to it. While the name
does not indicate this fact, it is about
half way between a county fair and a
chautauqua. and embodies the good
features of both.