The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1906-12-29
FARMER AND PLANTER
A COTTON MONOPOLY.
Reasons Why the Southern States
Grow the FIeeey Staple
Best.

Best.
It has been a puzzling question with
me for years why it is that the south |
ern states have practical monopoly
as regards cotton, which latter is OF
tropical origin, hence might reasona-
bly, be expected to do far better In
its native habitat, writes Delns. In
Farmers Home Journal. 1t certainly
is not due to a general superiority
of soil. for with the exception OF the
river bottoms-and more especially
that of the Mississippi the Yazoo
delta and about 25 black prairie coun-
ties of Texas, by far the greater part
of the cotton fields are to be found
in the piney woods region. where 1t
requires on an average OF nearly
three acres to make one bale. Taking
into consideration the fact that three
bales have been made on one acre
and even more-it will be seen that
but one-ninth of a possible yield Is
the average that rewards the cult
vator.
AS regards the old world, the prin-
cipal reason why cotton is so scarce
there is the undeniable fact that the
population is too dense; in other
words. the claims of the stomach have
to be considered before those OF the
back. This disposes most effectually
of a very large percentage OF the ter
ritory under consideration.
Pm II
! direct the readers attention to the
but little known, but all-important
fact that with the exception Of the
| larger part of Mexico-it requiring
irrigation-the country south OF the
United States-till you strike Chill
and Argentine OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
properly be termed what might be
called "a permanent" farming district.
The only exceptions are certain local.
ties requiring irrigation, like Mexico;
they are nearly exclusively confined to
the immediate neighborhood OF the
Pacific. hence by no means exclusive
South of Yucatan farming within the
limits named above is usually car
ried on In this style, VIZ: The large
forest trees are deadened by girdling
then the extremely dense and high
underground is cut down with large
sword-like knives (machete), is al
lowed to remain where 1t drops down
the dry season finding 1t thorough,
cured, when fire soon effectually dis
poses of all there is. This permits
the planting of corn, rice or blacl
beans, probably also Of tobacco ant
cotton. Nothing more is required til
the first three named plants return
Weld, then sugar cane or bananas, II
some instances coffee and cocoa trees
are planted, all these operations TAX
ing place in the same season. In
only implement now used Is the above
named machete; the sugar fields, how
ever. are scraped with hoes; afte
that the exuberant cane keeps dow
all shrubs that otherwise take ever!
thing unless cut down, and that owe
and over again. If plow were use
the excessive rains during summe
would wash away every vestige 9
surface soil. But about twenty year
0 settles the fate of even the most lew
. | and fertile fields, for after that 1t
! unfit for anything excepting pasturag
Query: Can such regions properly 3
, termed farming ones?
But few special words about co
ton are next in order. Whilst in Bri
ish Honduras / saw few straggiin
perennial cotton plants about ten fe'
, high. Though receiving but little.
any, attention, they were in hou
ishing condition and the capsule
high up. Cotton picking there wou
). mean ''straining," not STOPPING" b
y there is no doubt but that the lab
of keeping down the shrubs would
q very slow and difficult one, owing
'e the utter want of perfect shade. II
II machete would be almost useless, I
y it requires free elbow room to NAL
z. the necessary strokes, and the san
b remark applies to somewhat less
l. degree also to the hoe. Then agal
a large portion of the crop would n
e, ture during the rainy season; how
d manage the indisJepsable drying
d. the question. In susr words. M
re could not cultivatS enough to ma
e the most meager port, even If
s. could save all, which, owing to
ID excess of moisture, he can not.
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