The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1908-09-08
THE CARE OF COTTON.
Farmers Urged to Take Better Care
of Their Cotton-Saving to
Them.


Hon. B. Harris, President Farmers
Educational and Cooperative I'M
=. ion, Pendleton, S. c., and Hon. r.
D. Smith, President S. G. Division
Southern Cotton Association, Co.
lumbia, S. G.
Gentlemen:
The time for picking cotton hav-
ing arrived, has it ever occurred to
you to look into the question: of dam
age brought about by lack of care
for the staple from the time it is
g1nned to the time Of marketing9 2
= Having lived on o plantation for
twenty-one years, and at present own
ing and operating one, as we'll as be-
ing in the cotton business for tho
past ten years, I thought possibly
that my observations along this line
might tend to show the great amount
Eof money lost to this cotton produc-
ing country. I desire to impress up
on the farmer the necessity Of caring
for his cotton after laboring hard all
the year to make it, and thereby les
sen friction between producer, buyer,
j and manufacturer. a large portion
Of the farmers, as we'll as the car
riers, treat the staple as though it
: were coal, allowing it to lie on the
ground for months after ginning sub
| ject to climatic conditions, which
!. results in rot and country damage.
When the cotton is ready for the
/ market it is picked up and offered
!: Tor sale. the damage, as usual thing,
7 being disregarded until subjected to
the buyers inspection, who, in pro-
J tccting his interests, will either dock
for the damage or have the cotton
r. tpicked, resulting in great loss to the
tfarmer. Unquestionably it is to the
farmer interest to store his cotton
in reputable warehouse, thereby
] protecting himself from loss from
!, tire as we'll as damage, and in addi-
! ton he can secure warehouse receipt
/ for same, which is prime mercantile
I paper, and can be discounted at any
\ bank, allowing the farmer to sell his
\ cotton when he desires to do so.
My object, however, is to impress
upon the farmers to house their cot
. ton as soon as it is ginncd, whether
it be in warehusc, or in their barns,
or dwelling, thereby reducing the
element Of damage to a minimum.
TO my mind, one of the most i'm
\ xportant things the Farmers Union
y and the Southern Cotton Association
conld handle is the caring for cotton
after it is einned, and up to the timo
it is marketed. Having personally
handled, during the past ten years,
about 100000 bales of cotton Of all
a grades and staple, this cotton being
q shipped here from Texas and Okla
q ohma on the West, to North Caro-
y lima on the Fast, I do think am in
S. very fair position to speak intclli-
8, ,srntly Of the item Of damage, large
8 T. caused by carclcssness.
| \ Tn addition to the rotten cotton on
pousands Of bales, varying from five
rs much as three hundred pounds
fr bale, all Of which has to he pick
off before settling for and which
caused by allowing the cotton to
on one end or lie on one side in
pc mud and rain for months before
3eing offered for sale; there is an
her element of damage which is not
easily detected, bnt which has a
lr more reaching effect on the buy
as we'll as the manufacturer. 7
fer to what is called country dam
Re.
When cotton is allowed to stand in
e weather after being ginned for
" length Of time. although the
sSncr may turn it about from side to
sle to keep it from rotting, the
laple Of the cotton on the outside Of
ae bale is effected just in proportion
the time it is allowed to remain