The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1907-11-09
SOUTHERN
AGRICULTURE
SAVING AND SELLING COTTON.
Three Big "pont's" and a Few Other
Things to Consider Now.

The times has come again. observes
Mr.. j. NJ. Beatty, in the Smithfield IN.
CD Herald, to house the cotton crop,
and then get it ginned and carried to
market We learned early in life that
what is worth doing at all is worth
doing WELL" This will apply to saw
ing cotton as well as to anything else
1. Don't allow the cotton to be
picked out trashy. On account of the
scarcity Of labor some farmers allow
pickers to deliver it with dirt, leaves
and pieces of bolls in it, fearing if
anything is said about trash they will
go to other fields to work. BY having
the cotton picked this way often from
a quarter to half cent per pound is
lost in selling it.
2. Don't have the cotton ginned
when 1t is wet. Dew and rain should
be well dried out of it before it is car
ried to the gin. Have the cotton we'll
covered with good bagging. Do not al
low the ginners to put few old rags
around the bale and throw it out from
the gin. Never leave your cotton at
the gin. If you cannot carry it home
or to market, take it far enough from
the gins SO that fire at the gin would
not destroy it. Around a gin is such
a dangerous place that many insur-
ance companies win not insure the
property for big pay. and yet some
farmers VIII have their whole cotton
crop thrown out within a few feet of
the gin and let it stay for days and
weeks. This causes heavy losses every
year.
g. Don't let the bales of cotton lie
On the ground. If it is to be kept any
length of time, put it on poles, If II
cannot be sheltered, and turn it over
every week to avoid damage from rot
ting. 1t is best to place it in house
or under shelter If possible to do so.
Cotton rotting in the bales causes
heavy loss every year. No farmer
can give any valid season for having
to bear such losses. The cotton crop
has been made at considerable ex-
pense, and it is therefore necessary
to give it close attention now.
4. What price will you pay for pick
ng cotton? 1t is not the object of this
paragraph to try to set the price to be
paid for picking cotton this fall but
o call attention to some important
Kings in connection with it. In the
irst place, we will say that while the
'rop Is not as large as usual, it will
axe two months at least and probably
onger to house it. 1t cannot be done
n a day nor week or two, no mat
er how high the price of cotton goes
Tor how high the price of picking nor
low great hurry into which some
armers get. High prices for picking
70 not make one hand more or less.
4ast fall many farmers gave a price
Or picking which amounted to one
ourth of the crop. Others gave as
much as third. We do not think
ne pickers ought to run the price up
ut OF reason because there are few
do the work. On the other hand.
re do not think farmers should cut
ne price too low just because there is
ut little cotton to pick in a neighbor-
God. live and let live" price
houid be adopted and adhered to.
his would be just to all parties con
erned. Everybody should be willing
see right prevail in question of
Dor as well as anywhere else.
J. I. Milmer, Texas commissioner of
sriculture, indorses the action of fix
e the price OF cotton at / cents per
3und. He says: ut is a fair and :,
'nservative demand. The present :
itiook of this crop and the unprece-
'Rted demand for cotton all over the
OrId iustifies II -